At Colonie Central High School, senior Julianne Brizzell is proving that the world of welding isn’t just for men. Julianne is one of a growing number of young women pursuing the craft through the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, where she’s enrolled in the Welding and Metal Fabrication program on the Albany campus.

“My dad taught me welding a year or so ago and I just fell in love with it,” Julianne said. “There’s something really satisfying about being able to build and create something out of metal with your own hands.”

Women make up only about 5 to 6 percent of the welding workforce nationwide, but programs like the one at Capital Region BOCES are seeing that number climb. This year, about 10 young women are enrolled—double what the program had just a few years ago.

Through the two-year program, students like Julianne learn American Welding Society standards, develop hands-on skills, and earn certifications that prepare them for careers in a field that is expected to need 330,000 new professionals by 2028, according to the American Welding Society.

Local welder and mentor Tori Rodriguez often visits the program to share her experience. “Being in the trades, there is a stability that you can’t find in other industries. These aren’t jobs that a robot can do,” she said.

The Capital Region BOCES Welding and Metal Fabrication program prepares students with the skills they need to either directly enter the workforce or expand their skills in a college or trade school. During the two-year program that is taught on the Albany and Schoharie campuses, students learn American Welding Society standards and earn certifications that prepare them for a career in the welding industry.

For Julianne, welding isn’t just about sparks and steel—it’s about shaping a future in a field she’s passionate about. “I love the work,” she said. “I don’t see being a woman as an obstacle. If anything, it pushes me to keep going.”