Will women help bridge the gap in the skilled trades workforce?

By Evan Dawson,

Published March 25, 2026 at 2:49 PM EDT

Five smiling people wearing headphones sit around a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left has short white hair and a white beard and mustache and is wearing a black t-shirt, black short-sleeved button-down shirt, jeans, and brown shoes; a young woman front center has pink hair in a ponytail and is wearing glasses, a black t-shirt that reads "HAPPY GO LUCKY" with a green, white, and orange shamrock, a black zip-up hoodie with white lettering, black pants, and black shoes; a woman back left has long blue hair and is wearing glasses, a red t-shirt that reads "FIND YOUR SPARK" in white lettering, and and black zip-up hoodies; a young woman back center has long black hair and is wearing a white sweatshirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue patterned button-down shirt, jeans, and sneakers

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(foreground) Jim Putnam, Honesty Harmon, (background) Stacey Mrva, and Lilly Hugi with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, March 25, 2026

George Yeadon / WXXI News

A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses, a silver butterfly necklace, and a maroon blouse

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Mary Guldenschuh

Provided

Industry experts say the demand for workers in the skilled trades is at an all-time high. And there's an increasing push for women to fill those gaps.

As part of our celebration of Women's History Month, we talk with local women welders and welding students about how they view careers in the trades.

Our guests:

Stacey Mrva, artist/instructor at Ironwood Studios
Lilly Hugi, student in the Metal Trades Program at Genesee Valley BOCES in Mt. Morris
Honesty Harmon, student at Edison Career and Technology High School
James Putnam, welding teacher at Edison Career and Technology High School
Mary Guldenschuh, deputy director of the Livingston County Workforce Development and Youth Bureau