Young woman finds welding intriguing
A number of women are now taking to technical-related courses hitherto considered male- dominated areas. Thus, some women are engaged in moulding, welding, fabrication and other such professions.
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It was therefore not surprising when this reporter spotted a 19-year-old Ms Eunice Bentle among about 30 men at the Dry Dock of the Takoradi Port welding and cutting thick steel plates for the repair and maintenance of some vessels.
Training
When interviewed to know more about her work, Ms Bentle said she was trained at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), where she acquired skills in welding and fabrication.
She said she was aware of the demands of the profession and had fully prepared herself to enter the area, adding that gone were the days when women confined themselves to working at the front desk as secretaries, taking orders from bosses.
“Here at the Takoradi Port, even though I am not yet employed, and still being trained to receive certification to go through, I will get certified for the sector maritime services,” she said.
She said even though she was the only female among over 100 workers in the shipyard, she had a lot of support from her colleagues.
She said she was attracted to practical aspects of education, adding that, “for me, to gain admission into the Takoradi Technical Institute to train as a welder was a giant step towards building my career.”
Asked if she was intimidated by the metal and giant vessels as well as the dominance of her male colleagues, she smiled and responded in the negative.
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“Here, we work as a team. Everybody has a role to play. The ship owner whose vessel is grounded for maintenance has given a specific time for the completion of work. Therefore, we have to work with speed and precision to meet the deadline,” she said.
In the shipyard
“Here, the biggest requirement is to adhere to all the safety rules, wear the protective clothing, steel boots, protect the eyes, hands and work to ensure there are no accidents”, she said.
She said the employer had a focus; the workers were expected to finish their assigned task within a given period so there was no time to waste.
A day in her life
According to Eunice, she wakes up very early in the morning to get ready for work. She changes into her protective clothes and is ready to set off.
To her, it is necessary to get a good rest after the day’s work and also exercise regularly to have enough energy to continue the next day.
Dreams & challenges
To her, there is no doubt about the fact that welding is mostly male- dominated, but she hopes that will change with time.
She is determined to aspire to higher levels, both locally and internationally, to be a world-class certified welder one day to contribute to the development of the country.
There is a great demand for qualified persons to work in the various stages of the oil and gas industry, that is, the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. The upstream sector requires highly qualified persons trained in technical skills such as welding, plumbing and painting.
She, therefore, advised other women searching for non-existent jobs to encourage themselves, and train in a profession that appealed to them in order to sail through and be employed in these areas.