March marks Women in the Trades Month, a celebration of the growing number of women pursuing careers in traditionally male-dominated fields. Throughout the month, Questar III BOCES is spotlighting female Career and Technical Education (CTE) students who are building skills, breaking barriers, and paving the way for even more young women.
Women make up less than 5% of all skilled trade workers in the United States. But this number is rising, as more women attend career and technical education and trade schools. With the country facing a shortage of skilled trade workers, women are helping to fill the gap, bringing their talent, perspectives, and skills to the table.
Isabella Satalino is a senior in the Welding program at Robert H. Gibson Technical School from East Greenbush CSD.
Questar III BOCES student Isabella Satalino is a senior in the Welding program at Robert H. Gibson Technical School from East Greenbush Central School District. She first became interested in welding at just twelve years old.”
“I have always been a hands-on type of person,” Isabella shared. “I hated just sitting in the house. My grandfather introduced me to welding and showed me how to do it. When I first started, I was a little skeptical. But as he told me more and more things, I was getting more into it. When (Questar III) started doing Open Houses, I think I came to every single one of them. Hearing Mr. Cowell talk about the program, I was like, ‘I think this is my cup of tea!’”
Isabella applied to the program during her sophomore year and was accepted to the school’s inaugural welding class. Although she knew this was where she wanted to be, she did share that it was a little intimidating entering a male-dominated field, and thus a male-dominated class. She is one of two females in her class.
“I didn’t know a single person here, even with a bunch of students from my home district,” Isabella said. “It was definitely a little overwhelming, but I was like, ‘Whatever, I don’t care. This is for me, not for them. All I want to do is go out and make money.’”
Since enrolling in the program, Isabella has mastered many welding skills from Mr. David Colwell, her welding teacher, and has earned several National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) welding certifications, along with her OSHA 10. Certifications such as these show employers that our students are proficient in their trade and have the background training and certification they need for the workforce.
Isabella Satalino works on a truck at SM Gallivan where she received 200 hours of paid on the job training through our Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Isabella had her first experience with that last summer when she participated in our Youth Apprenticeship Program. She was matched with a local employer and received a minimum of 200 hours of paid on the job training the summer following her junior year.
“It was a good experience and definitely opened my eyes to what it’s like to work for somebody,” Isabella said. “I definitely learned that I don’t want to sit in a shop all day, I want to go places and do different types of welding.”
With less than four months until graduation, Isabella is already reflecting on her Questar III BOCES experience, crediting the school with giving her direction and the skills for what’s to come next.
“It would be different if I weren’t here, I don’t think I would know what I would do after high school,” said Isabella. “I already knew in my sophomore year that college wasn’t going to be for me. I was so happy that I found something. It’s been great. You learn so much. You would never think you would learn as much as you do in two years, but it’s coming to an end. I think I can go out into the workforce right after high school and fit in with everyone else.”
Isabella has already secured post graduation employment and will be working with a welding company with opportunities to travel across the country. Isabella was excited about this prospect as it aligns with one of her career goals.
“I want to travel all over, find the biggest jobs that I can go on, and keep making money,” Isabella said. “I’m not looking to do one specific thing, just wherever it takes me.”