Chloe Werkau was the only female in her high school trades classes, but she didn’t let that deter her from following her passion.
Now enrolled in the Welding Program at Moraine Valley, Chloe said she is seeing a shift in traditionally male-dominated careers. “When I was in high school, not many girls took the trade classes, so for all of my classes I was the only girl in every single one. I love that in all the classes I’ve taken so far at Moraine Valley, I’ve always had at least two or three other girls with me,” she said.
She recalled a high school instructor who encouraged the formation of an all-girls robotics team at the school because he saw that more girls were becoming interested. “I feel like more schools and more jobs are highlighting that they would love more females to join the trades.” This shift further cemented Chloe’s desire to pursue a career in welding.
In high school, she took welding, automotive, electrical and robotics courses. “I liked all my classes, but I fell in love with welding. I heard Moraine Valley’s welding classes were good and a little smaller, so I knew I’d have more opportunities to do welding projects. I didn’t want to just sit in a large class and watch others weld,” Chloe shared.
She also is following in her family’s footsteps. “I do have a lot of family members who are in the trades, from welding to electrical. So, I definitely had them to look up to. A lot of my younger cousins are in the trades and they’re loving it. I think that sparked my interest, too.”
Chloe plans to become a pipe fitter and pursue positions where she can complete welds on bridges. When she is not in class or working part-time at Home Depot and Bengston’s Farm, she keeps busy with her small business. “I make welded flowers using washers and screws,” she said. “That has been my thing lately and I’ve probably made over 100 of them already.”
She is happy she chose Moraine Valley’s Welding Program to give her the additional skills she needs to be successful in her career. “I feel like the program is open-ended on what you can learn and what the possibilities are,” Chloe said. “My instructor, Dave [Viar], has been great in helping me improve my skills and figure out what techniques I need to use. I just love everything about this program.”
