Sun-Star: International shipping firms prefer skilled Pinay welders

Welding may be a male-dominated profession, but international shipping companies prefer to hire Filipino women welders, said an official of a university that offers courses on welding. This is one of the areas that women are “very good at" aside from nursing and teaching, among others, because “women welders are more meticulous," said University of Cebu (UC) president Augusto Go. He said Filipino women welders are also favored by foreign companies because of their abilities to easily adjust to different circumstances and adopt a language. Despite the high wages of welders abroad, though, only a few Filipino women are willing to study welding. Go said UC offers a course on welding but most of the students are male. He said many families would find the tuition for the welding course more affordable than that for nursing, and the skills acquired from such still provide good paying jobs abroad. Go said the demand for welders is strong not only in the international shipping industry but also in countries like Canada and Australia. He added that companies in Canada and Australia even offer relocation for the family of the welder. - Sun-Star