Grace Heuermann, a senior at Limestone Community High School, is breaking barriers and finding success in the skilled trades – a field with a largely male workforce. Grace is currently employed by Morton Industries as a welder and loving every minute of it. “I love the environment I work in, I love the people I work with, and I really enjoy the industrial setting,” reflects Heuermann, “you get a lot of experience in a place like that and you learn a lot.” Each day, Grace utilizes her welding skills to, “put together and build parts for places like Cat, Komatsu, and John Deere. The parts then get shipped out for the equipment that they need it for.”
Grace’s successes in welding and at Morton Industries did not happen by chance. She rolled up her sleeves, put in the work, and took advantage of education opportunities available. Among her other course loads, Grace took three years of Welding at LCHS, starting her sophomore year. Mr. Shane Seals is well regarded as one of the best Welding instructors in central Illinois and has built one of the best high school welding programs in the state. The welding program at LCHS teaches students industry standards and skills for employment, certification, or continued education after high school. Mr. Seals students walk out of LCHS ready to compete for jobs immediately, a fact Grace Heuermann proudly supports, “I have known people that worked there [Morton Industries], so I decided to apply. I had an interview, I took a weld test, and I got the job.”
Grace’s experiences in the classroom, and in the workforce, allowed her to participate in the Work Based Learning (WBL) program at LCHS during her senior year. WBL programs allow students to take some of their courses at LCHS and some of their courses out in the field gaining hands-on work experiences. In Grace’s case, she is working and learning in manufacturing as a welder. WBL programs are an essential part of Career and Technical Education (CTE), or Education for Employment (EFE) as it is sometimes referred. LCHS offers a wealth of WBL opportunities including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Construction, Fire Science, EMT and many other fields related to a program of study leading to industry certifications/careers. Students can, and should, take advantage of CTE programs offered at LCHS including business, technology, engineering, culinary arts, early childhood education, carpentry, welding, and automotive.
Grace continues to learn a tremendous amount about her field, “sometimes it gets a little crazy with so many things happening at once, but overall it is a good place to work. Some things don’t always go according to the plan or the process, so learning to be flexible and problem solve is key.” The skilled trades, such as the manufacturing industry, offer great work experiences with incredible benefits. When speaking about the many benefits of the skilled trades as a career path, Grace said, “You get to work in all kinds of environments. Once you become a journeyman you have the ability to travel anywhere in the country to work, good health insurance, and a great retirement plan.”
Aside from graduating from LCHS in May, what are Grace’s plans for her future? Grace has it all mapped out, “I am going to put in an application to the Steamfitters hall to become an apprentice. It is a five-year apprenticeship and I will soak up as much information as I can in that time. After completing my apprenticeship, I will own my own company and get contracts for jobs. I have not decided if I want to do more residential or industrial work, but I would like to have my own company someday.”
While Grace is an incredibly humble and hard-working student, she also recognizes the strength it takes to break into a heavily male industry like welding. When asked about her experiences, Grace offered this advice, “it is a male dominated trade, so you have to be strong and not let yourself get pushed around. You will meet some great people, you will also meet some people that will challenge you a bit, but you just have to prove yourself and show them that you belong here. Also, that you know what you are talking about and that you are just as good as they are.” Make no mistake about it, Grace Heuermann is a remarkable role model for all students, especially female students, who are considering the skilled trades.
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