August 25, 2025 • 22 mins
What is it like to be a woman teaching advanced manufacturing in a field where men make up the majority?
Hear it from three members of the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) instructional team: welding instructor Makayla Baker, metrology instructor Holly Lyle and welding technician Autumn King. As the only women on a team of nearly 40 instructors and technicians, they share their career journeys, classroom experiences and what it means to mentor the next generation of manufacturing talent.
Through their stories, you’ll hear how ATDM’s fast-paced, 600-hour program equips students for life-changing careers in welding, metrology and more—and why representation matters in the skilled trades. This conversation highlights the impact of teaching, perseverance, and opportunity.
🎙️Topics Covered:
- How each instructor found her way into manufacturing and teaching
- What it’s like to guide students in ATDM’s intensive four-month program
- Challenges and opportunities for women in male-dominated fields
- Inspiring student success stories, from “last shot” moments to certification triumphs
- Why role models matter in shaping the next generation of manufacturing talent
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Caleb Ayers (00:09):
Welcome to another episode of Inside IALR.
Thanks for being here today andfor joining us.
So we've talked a lot about ouraccelerated training and
defense manufacturing programhere that prepares adult
learners for manufacturingcareers and, as is in the name,
it's accelerated, so it's afour-month training program.
Our instructional team is up toI think it's pushing 40
(00:30):
instructors and technicians atthis point and I'm here with the
three women who are part ofthat group.
So can you guys just introduceyourself real quick, give your
name and your title.
Makayla Baker (00:38):
My name is Michaela Baker.
I have been a weldinginstructor here for about two
years now.
Holly Lyle (00:45):
Hi, my name is Holly Lyle and I have been a
metrology instructor for lessthan a year.
Autumn King (00:54):
My name is Autumn King.
I've been a welding technicianhere for about a year and a half
now.
Caleb Ayers (00:58):
Before we get into anything serious, how many pets
do you have?
And in your dream world, wheremoney and logistics are not an
issue, how many pets would youhave, and what kind of pets
would they be?
Makayla Baker (01:08):
That's a hard hitter, you're talking about
easy, that's um currently have apit bull named Maverick who is
six years old, and I have a lovebird who is five.
I think in a world where moneywasn't a problem, I'd have like
a shark tank, something reallycool and niche that everybody
(01:28):
wants to come and see.
I don't know, I feel likethat'd be really cool.
Holly Lyle (01:32):
Okay, currently I have two cats.
I used to have a dog, one'swhite, one's black.
They're absolutely hilarious.
I guess, in a world where moneywasn't an option, I would
probably want, I'd probably want, like a Tasmanian devil.
(01:55):
I've always thought they werelike fluffy teddy bears.
I mean they're not, but I meanthey look really cute.
Autumn King (02:04):
I have a pit bull named Henry.
In a perfect world, I think Iwould have just like a bunch of
senior rescue dogs and just letthem run around.
Caleb Ayers (02:12):
I have one cat and I did not give any thought to
what the animal I would havewould be, but I like the shark
tank answer.
Makayla Baker (02:19):
That's not what I was expecting, so I guess for
each of you guys can you justtell us a little bit about kind
of how you ended up here at ATDM, kind of what was your
educational and career journeyfor, how you got here.
So I was actually an ATDMwelding student and from there I
graduated, I went out into themanufacturing world and did work
(02:41):
for John Deere and Mickey'sTruck Bodies and you know it
filled my pockets but it didn'treally fill my cup.
And thinking back on myexperience at ATDM, where I got
so much experience within afour-month span and my
instructors truly helped me getto that point, I was like, wow,
that would be a dream job.
You know where I can truly leadother people to that same
(03:04):
position.
And so that's what led me backhere was just wanting to do the
same thing for other people.
Holly Lyle (03:10):
I actually I didn't start in metrology, I actually
started at in C&C.
So I went to school for C&C forthree years and I was
determined that that's what Iwas going to do.
And as I was in, I was actuallyat DCC and while I was there in
the IMT program that's whereATDM was at the time was in the
(03:35):
same building and Jared Hankins,who was the metrology or is the
metrology instructor, he sawthat I really liked the
metrology aspect of it and hewas like well, if I train you
more on it, I think you'd be areally good technician in
metrology.
So I applied for the job.
He trained me while I was stillat IMT and then I became the
(03:59):
metrology technician for a yearand a half.
Autumn King (04:02):
Kind of like Holly.
While I was at DCC for welding,I found out about the ATVM
program and I was out working inthe welding field and a job
became available to become awelding technician here and I
was really interested in it andso I applied and I wound up
getting the job.
And here I am.
Caleb Ayers (04:19):
What's kind of been y'all's experience as far as
when did you?
Because it's one.
I mean, it's one thing,obviously, for you to go learn
how to do manufacturing.
Obviously, when you're startingyour programs whether it be DCC
or DCC or ATDM, you know you'rethinking I'm going to go out
and I'm going to do this stuff.
When did you realize, oh, I canactually teach this too.
And when did that kind of whendid you?
(04:39):
When did that idea come intoyour head that you might want to
?
And when did you realize, oh, Iactually can teach this stuff?
Makayla Baker (04:45):
I think for me personally, I was once a YMCA
camp counselor and so I ledcampers in that way and kind of
helped them tie shoes, I meanbait, a hook when we were going
fishing, and so I think that'skind of where I realized this is
something I want to do, butwith something that I'm
passionate about.
So once I got into welding andfound that I was really
(05:12):
passionate about that, I mixedmy passion with that, with my
love for people and teachingthem, and that's kind of where I
realized this is something Iwould love to do for the rest of
my life.
Holly Lyle (05:18):
So If you had asked me that question like two years
ago, I would have said no,teaching is not for me, but I
actually had been teaching for alittle while at my church.
So we do this something.
We do something called Awanaand I had actually been teaching
the preschoolers to secondgraders for probably six years
(05:58):
and, um, I really enjoyed itbecause I loved seeing them
learn, seeing the light bulb, um, that light bulb moment go, and
um, I really enjoyed it, but Iwas able to help them.
It was actually reallyrewarding, not not in the sense
of oh, I did it.
It was more along the sense ofI actually explained it in a way
that it made sense and that wasactually really cool.
Autumn King (06:19):
For me, teaching was always kind of a career that
I thought about, but I didn'treally want to go into it in the
like children aspect.
I kind of always thought aboutit in the adult learner aspect.
When I realized that I could doit was when I was working a
customer service job and Isomehow wound up training all of
the new employees.
So that was kind of when Irealized, oh, maybe I can like
make people learn things, butbeing here and like teaching
(06:41):
people how to weld has beensomething that I found really
enriching and enjoyable.
Caleb Ayers (06:46):
And for those who don't know, atdm is 600 hours
over four months.
It is fast paced, basically, Imean they've explained it it's
like a year of community collegepacked into four months.
So you guys are I mean you'rerocking and rolling from the
moment the students get here.
So what is kind of the iny'all's classroom?
I mean I say classroom,classroom, lab, whatever we want
(07:07):
to call it I mean, what is itlike in there?
Kind of, how are you workingwith students?
What does the day-to-day looklike?
As far as you know what youguys are doing, what you're
teaching, things like that.
Makayla Baker (07:16):
For me specifically, we go through each
of the four main four processesin welding and starting out a
new process.
We're going to start in theclassroom going over book work,
powerpoints, anything that canhelp set them up before they
even get out in the shop.
So if I say, hey, you know,grab your stick rod, they know
what it looks like because we'vealready went over that in the
(07:38):
classroom.
So we'll probably do that forabout a day or two and then the
majority of the time thatthey're here they're in the shop
actually hands on doing thiswelding, getting one on one with
me and a technician and kind ofgoing through the motions of
that process until they test outon it.
Holly Lyle (08:06):
And then we start it all over again with a little
different.
So for the first probably monthwe're actually in the lab or in
the classroom and it's reallyjust to get the foundations,
because you have to know how toread a blueprint before you can
actually inspect a part.
So we go through print readingfor about a month to a month and
a half and we spend a majorityof that.
Now in that month and a halfwe're also pounding the basics
(08:28):
of basic tools.
So we do go down in the lab andwork on how to read a tape
measure, how to read a ruler,what's a caliper, what's a
micrometer, and we startbuilding those basic hand tools.
And then from there we go intoGD&T.
And once we get into GD&T we'rebasically in the lab the entire
time learning how to inspectthe GD&T call-outs on the
(08:52):
granite station.
And then we go into your CMMand your ferroarm and that's
also in the lab.
Autumn King (09:00):
So my answer is going to be very similar to
Michaela's.
We have a very structuredcurriculum.
So once they start out in thatfirst process, it's kind of them
getting used to being in theshop and getting used to how we
do things here.
But once they make it to thesecond one, they understand okay
, we're going to be in theclassroom for this first maybe
day, day and a half and thenwe're going to be in the shop.
This is how we're going to doit and then from there it's
(09:22):
pretty steady rolling.
Caleb Ayers (09:23):
The amount of hands-on learning by just doing
things in this program is very,very impressive and I know
that's a very important part ofit is, if you're trying to cram
it all in there, you can't.
Cramming book knowledge inisn't really going to help these
people who are immediatelygoing on into real jobs and real
manufacturing plants.
I think it's worth pointing outso that just for our listeners
(09:45):
to know.
I mean, I think generally thereare not many women in
manufacturing.
That's.
I think that's pretty, prettycommon knowledge.
We I checked this morning sowe've had just over a thousand
graduates so far from ATDM and14% of those are women.
So that's, I honestly don'tknow how that compares to what
you would see in a traditionalplant, but that seems like that
(10:07):
is higher than you would, thanyou would think.
But for you all I mean beingthe woman on the instructional
team I mean, what is that?
What does having that role meanto you all?
I mean, what are you trying to,I guess, show the next
generation of women behind youabout what manufacturing is?
I mean, what are your thoughtson that?
Makayla Baker (10:23):
For me that's a really key aspect of why I do
what I do.
When I was actually in thewelding field, working in
manufacturing, that was such apressure that I had.
I was always the first woman inthe shop.
When I worked at Mickey's, Iwas the first woman they hired.
When I worked at John Deere, Iwas the first woman on that line
(10:44):
and so it's cool to kind ofhave that right.
But it was also so much pressureon me to perform because I knew
that if I didn't perform to ahigh standard, any woman that
came in after me was going to bejudged based on my performance
right, because that was theirfirst experience in hiring a
woman and so it was alwaysreally difficult in that field
(11:05):
and and just getting I feel likea lot more judgment based on
just being a woman in this, thismale oriented field of welding.
But being here is is is such anintentional spot for me because
I had of the women that havecome through the welding shop,
you know they look at me andthey're like I've.
You know I'm surprised there'sa woman instructor here and you
(11:28):
know it's it's kind of crazy tohear those words, but we're
changing that and to and to seethe different women that do come
through our shop and are soexcited to be under the
instruction of me, or Autumn,like it truly to me lights,
lights my day up, lights my week, my year, um, and and gives me
my why and a lot of reasons tokeep pushing and to keep
(11:49):
inspiring women out there to gointo these male oriented fields
and just do it.
Yeah.
Holly Lyle (11:54):
For me.
I don't think it was ever like,uh oh, this is why, or this is
a reason why I want to do it, oranything like that.
For the most part, it wasn'treally in my mind.
I was just kind of like this iswhat I like, so this is what.
Autumn King (12:07):
I'm going to do, but I.
Holly Lyle (12:10):
it kind of clicked for me when I had first become a
technician and one of ourstudents.
One of the students came up tome and she was just like I
didn't think I was going to doit.
She's like I thought I was justgoing to get here and then
immediately drop out.
And like I didn't think I wasgoing to do it.
She's like I thought I was justgoing to get here and then
immediately drop out and she wasjust like but I could stay
because I saw that there wasactually a girl who pulled it
(12:30):
off and I was like, oh, I didn'trealize that was actually a
thing that people looked out for.
It didn't click into my brainuntil she said it and it was
just like, oh, okay, so Iactually just my presence here
actually does have a role toplay, and so I don't think it's
ever really changed a whole lotof what I've done.
I've always had this mentalitythat whatever I do, do it to the
(12:53):
best of my ability, and I thinkthat's, whether you're a boy, a
girl, a man, a woman ifwhatever you do, you need to do
it to your best.
And I think that women can doit, and if women really want to,
they can pull it off and theyjust need to have this mentality
that it's not well, that's justa man's job, or that's only a
(13:16):
girl's job, so men can't do it,that's only a boy's job, so a
woman can't do it.
Autumn King (13:24):
It's like no, you can do it so long as you put
your mind and your heart to it.
I agree with both of what theywhat both of them said.
I think that a lot of it too isa lot of times you'll go on to
a job, like Michaela said, andsomebody else will have been
there first, and if they did agood job, then they expect you
to do a good job, whichobviously you're going to do.
Or if they did a bad job andit's like, oh well, you're going
to do.
Or if they did a bad job andit's like, oh well, you're going
to do just as bad.
But I think if you go into thejob and you just do what you
(13:47):
want to do, you don'tnecessarily act any different.
But you just can't let being awoman, you know affect how
you're going to present yourselfand do your job.
Caleb Ayers (13:56):
I mean and Michaela , you touched on this a little
bit that you were the first inseveral situations, so that
might be part of the answer tothis.
But kind of based on what youguys have seen in your
experiences, why aren't theremore women in manufacturing and
what are some?
What are, what are, I guess,some of those barriers and
obstacles that prevent morewomen from entering this field,
whether it be welding ormachining or metrology?
Makayla Baker (14:19):
I mean, yeah, I think you're right.
I did kind of partially answerthat, you know, and I think
there is a pushback in someregard to women, at least in
welding.
I've seen a lot.
I actually just went to an AWSwelding summit and when I was
there, the ratio right of men towomen at this welding summit I
could probably, out of the 80people that were there, there's
(14:42):
probably five females and I'mincluded in that five and I
really just think it's the lackof and kind of like what Holly
was saying.
You know that student, seeingher and being like I saw a girl
do it so that I stayed.
You know that showed me that Icould do it.
We need more of that, morerepresentation of women in these
jobs to let other women knowlike this is something you can
(15:04):
do.
If this is something you'reinterested in or something that
you want to end up doing, thendo it.
You know, and I really thinkthat us being here today like
definitely shows other womenthat that is something.
If I don't want to go tonursing school, I don't want to
do what, I guess the typicalwoman, I guess path is that they
can do that yeah.
Holly Lyle (15:26):
I guess this it's the whole mentality of just, oh
well, it's not even like I don'twant to.
It's more along the lines ofwell, is that really what I want
to do?
What is that really?
What does it actually look like?
Because I mean, I feel like alot of the traits have just kind
of I don't know gone out offavor, I guess.
(15:47):
So it's not even just the simplefact of, oh, I don't
necessarily want to do it.
It's more along the lines of Idon't even know what it is and
since it's a male dominatedfield, it's kind of like, well,
if a man is doing it, then it itprobably is not going to like
it.
You know, it's just, I'm goodto move to the side, but I think
(16:08):
it's more along the lines of ifthey could see what it actually
is, if they could see what itactually would mean for your job
or your career, then, and justthe joy and actually seeing a
part come together or actuallybeing a part of something bigger
than yourself, I think issomething that would put a lot
more people into those fields,whether it be man or woman.
Autumn King (16:30):
I think people are a little bit afraid of like the
bias that's still out theretowards women being in the
fields.
But you really just have tolike not necessarily accept that
, but be like this is somethingI'm going to face and just move
past it, because you're going toface bias in any field that you
go into.
You can work an office job andpeople aren't always going to be
nice to you.
You just kind of have to likeroll with the punches and do
(16:51):
your work and go home.
Caleb Ayers (16:52):
It's a good motto Do your work and go home.
Holly, you just gave anexcellent pitch for Go Tech,
which is, for those who don'tknow, is one of our programs
here that is in.
It's about to be in 72 Virginiamiddle schools.
That's all about educatingmiddle schoolers so they know
those career opportunities doexist and what they're like.
So, yeah, if they don't knowabout it, how can they?
(17:13):
How can they go do it?
So for for you guys, teachingand instructing and coaching
students, what are some momentsthat stick out to you?
And Holly, I mean, you alreadymentioned one, but what are some
moments that stick out to you?
And Holly, I mean you alreadymentioned one, but what are some
moments that stick out to youas far as, like, that's a really
cool moment that you're goingto remember, as far as it might
you know, might have been alight bulb moment where a
student couldn't get somethingand then all of a sudden, they
(17:33):
got it, or or something alongthose lines.
You know some of thoserewarding moments or stories,
even of students who have goneon from here.
Makayla Baker (17:46):
Actually, in a cohort that just recently
graduated, I had a student whowas living out of their car
before coming to this program.
You know, just didn't reallyhave anything going for them,
and this was kind of their lastshot at finding something good
for them, an avenue for them togo, and they ended up leaving
with almost all of thecertifications that we offer,
and that, to me, was just like amoment where I'm again reminded
(18:10):
of why I do this, you know, toallow people to find those
avenues and those career pathsthat can put them in a place in
life that they've always wantedto be.
Holly Lyle (18:19):
I actually can think of one student in particular.
I actually can think of onestudent in particular.
She struggled a lot in thebeginning.
Math was not her forte and shewas just like, ok, I'm done, I'm
dropping out.
And we were like, no, you cando it.
Once we get through the trig,you'll be able to make it
through the class.
And once we got through mathand we got through profile of a
(18:42):
surface and all of the trig thatwent along with that, we got on
to the CMM and the Pharaoh armand I mean she took off.
Just the joy that she got towork on the Pharaoh arm and the
CMM.
I mean she loved every minutethat she possibly could be on it
.
And we got an email back fromher not too long ago and she was
just like I'm moving up, I'vegotten my certification's like
(19:04):
normally it takes about a monthto get it.
She's like I got it in twoweeks.
She was like I just went ahead,passed all the the classes or
courses that you're supposed totake.
She's like and I kneweverything she's like and I
couldn't have done it withoutyou and Jared and Andy.
She was like it was.
It's just this freeing momentthat I actually knew I could do
it, and so that was actuallyreally cool to be like, okay,
(19:26):
you were struggling it,struggling through all of the
classes, but you pulled it off,so it was really cool.
Autumn King (19:32):
Mine shares a common theme with both of those.
I had a student and he uh, hestarted out and he struggled
like pretty much halfway throughthe whole cohort and he stayed
for tutoring pretty much everysingle day that it was offered.
And something just clicked likehalfway through and he started
picking up every single certthat he could get and by the end
of the cohort he had every cert, got a great job offer.
(19:52):
But it was somebody that, like,had never had anything their
whole life.
They came from having nothingand this program was pretty much
like their last shot, that theyfelt that they had to make
something of themselves in theirlife.
And that's just one of thosetimes where you're like, man,
I'm really just happy for thisperson.
It's a powerful moment.
Caleb Ayers (20:10):
The whole idea of ATDM is to, you know, put more
people in the maritimeindustrial base so that you know
those ships and submarines canget produced and maintained.
But obviously the secondary partof that is that those
life-changing careeropportunities that come out of
four months of training and thenyou're set up for a great
career that you were not set upfor at all four months before
(20:30):
that.
So yeah, that's.
I love hearing those stories ofstudents going from yeah, as
you said, living out of theircar to walking away with a bunch
of certifications and great joboffers.
Yeah, just the the ability ofthis program to open doors to
for people who might not havethe time or the resources to go
to community college for twoyears or to go find a program
(20:51):
that they pay for, or to travelfor a program where they have to
pay for housing.
You know, like, housing andtuition are covered and
everything is covered to openthose doors to anyone who's
willing to put the work in.
Thank you guys for being heretoday.
I enjoyed hearing the storiesand just the mission that you
(21:12):
all clearly work with, that youunderstand the bigger mission of
ATDM to help put more people inthese positions but also the
role that you all play in theseindividuals' lives who are going
on to.
I mean you're helping preparepeople for life-changing careers
.
Holly Lyle (21:25):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, caleb, Iappreciate it.
Welcome to another episode of Inside IALR.
Thanks for being here today andfor joining us.
So we've talked a lot about ouraccelerated training and
defense manufacturing programhere that prepares adult
learners for manufacturingcareers and, as is in the name,
it's accelerated, so it's afour-month training program.
Our instructional team is up toI think it's pushing 40
(00:30):
instructors and technicians atthis point and I'm here with the
three women who are part ofthat group.
So can you guys just introduceyourself real quick, give your
name and your title.
Makayla Baker (00:38):
My name is Michaela Baker.
I have been a weldinginstructor here for about two
years now.
Holly Lyle (00:45):
Hi, my name is Holly Lyle and I have been a
metrology instructor for lessthan a year.
Autumn King (00:54):
My name is Autumn King.
I've been a welding technicianhere for about a year and a half
now.
Caleb Ayers (00:58):
Before we get into anything serious, how many pets
do you have?
And in your dream world, wheremoney and logistics are not an
issue, how many pets would youhave, and what kind of pets
would they be?
Makayla Baker (01:08):
That's a hard hitter, you're talking about
easy, that's um currently have apit bull named Maverick who is
six years old, and I have a lovebird who is five.
I think in a world where moneywasn't a problem, I'd have like
a shark tank, something reallycool and niche that everybody
(01:28):
wants to come and see.
I don't know, I feel likethat'd be really cool.
Holly Lyle (01:32):
Okay, currently I have two cats.
I used to have a dog, one'swhite, one's black.
They're absolutely hilarious.
I guess, in a world where moneywasn't an option, I would
probably want, I'd probably want, like a Tasmanian devil.
(01:55):
I've always thought they werelike fluffy teddy bears.
I mean they're not, but I meanthey look really cute.
Autumn King (02:04):
I have a pit bull named Henry.
In a perfect world, I think Iwould have just like a bunch of
senior rescue dogs and just letthem run around.
Caleb Ayers (02:12):
I have one cat and I did not give any thought to
what the animal I would havewould be, but I like the shark
tank answer.
Makayla Baker (02:19):
That's not what I was expecting, so I guess for
each of you guys can you justtell us a little bit about kind
of how you ended up here at ATDM, kind of what was your
educational and career journeyfor, how you got here.
So I was actually an ATDMwelding student and from there I
graduated, I went out into themanufacturing world and did work
(02:41):
for John Deere and Mickey'sTruck Bodies and you know it
filled my pockets but it didn'treally fill my cup.
And thinking back on myexperience at ATDM, where I got
so much experience within afour-month span and my
instructors truly helped me getto that point, I was like, wow,
that would be a dream job.
You know where I can truly leadother people to that same
(03:04):
position.
And so that's what led me backhere was just wanting to do the
same thing for other people.
Holly Lyle (03:10):
I actually I didn't start in metrology, I actually
started at in C&C.
So I went to school for C&C forthree years and I was
determined that that's what Iwas going to do.
And as I was in, I was actuallyat DCC and while I was there in
the IMT program that's whereATDM was at the time was in the
(03:35):
same building and Jared Hankins,who was the metrology or is the
metrology instructor, he sawthat I really liked the
metrology aspect of it and hewas like well, if I train you
more on it, I think you'd be areally good technician in
metrology.
So I applied for the job.
He trained me while I was stillat IMT and then I became the
(03:59):
metrology technician for a yearand a half.
Autumn King (04:02):
Kind of like Holly.
While I was at DCC for welding,I found out about the ATVM
program and I was out working inthe welding field and a job
became available to become awelding technician here and I
was really interested in it andso I applied and I wound up
getting the job.
And here I am.
Caleb Ayers (04:19):
What's kind of been y'all's experience as far as
when did you?
Because it's one.
I mean, it's one thing,obviously, for you to go learn
how to do manufacturing.
Obviously, when you're startingyour programs whether it be DCC
or DCC or ATDM, you know you'rethinking I'm going to go out
and I'm going to do this stuff.
When did you realize, oh, I canactually teach this too.
And when did that kind of whendid you?
(04:39):
When did that idea come intoyour head that you might want to
?
And when did you realize, oh, Iactually can teach this stuff?
Makayla Baker (04:45):
I think for me personally, I was once a YMCA
camp counselor and so I ledcampers in that way and kind of
helped them tie shoes, I meanbait, a hook when we were going
fishing, and so I think that'skind of where I realized this is
something I want to do, butwith something that I'm
passionate about.
So once I got into welding andfound that I was really
(05:12):
passionate about that, I mixedmy passion with that, with my
love for people and teachingthem, and that's kind of where I
realized this is something Iwould love to do for the rest of
my life.
Holly Lyle (05:18):
So If you had asked me that question like two years
ago, I would have said no,teaching is not for me, but I
actually had been teaching for alittle while at my church.
So we do this something.
We do something called Awanaand I had actually been teaching
the preschoolers to secondgraders for probably six years
(05:58):
and, um, I really enjoyed itbecause I loved seeing them
learn, seeing the light bulb, um, that light bulb moment go, and
um, I really enjoyed it, but Iwas able to help them.
It was actually reallyrewarding, not not in the sense
of oh, I did it.
It was more along the sense ofI actually explained it in a way
that it made sense and that wasactually really cool.
Autumn King (06:19):
For me, teaching was always kind of a career that
I thought about, but I didn'treally want to go into it in the
like children aspect.
I kind of always thought aboutit in the adult learner aspect.
When I realized that I could doit was when I was working a
customer service job and Isomehow wound up training all of
the new employees.
So that was kind of when Irealized, oh, maybe I can like
make people learn things, butbeing here and like teaching
(06:41):
people how to weld has beensomething that I found really
enriching and enjoyable.
Caleb Ayers (06:46):
And for those who don't know, atdm is 600 hours
over four months.
It is fast paced, basically, Imean they've explained it it's
like a year of community collegepacked into four months.
So you guys are I mean you'rerocking and rolling from the
moment the students get here.
So what is kind of the iny'all's classroom?
I mean I say classroom,classroom, lab, whatever we want
(07:07):
to call it I mean, what is itlike in there?
Kind of, how are you workingwith students?
What does the day-to-day looklike?
As far as you know what youguys are doing, what you're
teaching, things like that.
Makayla Baker (07:16):
For me specifically, we go through each
of the four main four processesin welding and starting out a
new process.
We're going to start in theclassroom going over book work,
powerpoints, anything that canhelp set them up before they
even get out in the shop.
So if I say, hey, you know,grab your stick rod, they know
what it looks like because we'vealready went over that in the
(07:38):
classroom.
So we'll probably do that forabout a day or two and then the
majority of the time thatthey're here they're in the shop
actually hands on doing thiswelding, getting one on one with
me and a technician and kind ofgoing through the motions of
that process until they test outon it.
Holly Lyle (08:06):
And then we start it all over again with a little
different.
So for the first probably monthwe're actually in the lab or in
the classroom and it's reallyjust to get the foundations,
because you have to know how toread a blueprint before you can
actually inspect a part.
So we go through print readingfor about a month to a month and
a half and we spend a majorityof that.
Now in that month and a halfwe're also pounding the basics
(08:28):
of basic tools.
So we do go down in the lab andwork on how to read a tape
measure, how to read a ruler,what's a caliper, what's a
micrometer, and we startbuilding those basic hand tools.
And then from there we go intoGD&T.
And once we get into GD&T we'rebasically in the lab the entire
time learning how to inspectthe GD&T call-outs on the
(08:52):
granite station.
And then we go into your CMMand your ferroarm and that's
also in the lab.
Autumn King (09:00):
So my answer is going to be very similar to
Michaela's.
We have a very structuredcurriculum.
So once they start out in thatfirst process, it's kind of them
getting used to being in theshop and getting used to how we
do things here.
But once they make it to thesecond one, they understand okay
, we're going to be in theclassroom for this first maybe
day, day and a half and thenwe're going to be in the shop.
This is how we're going to doit and then from there it's
(09:22):
pretty steady rolling.
Caleb Ayers (09:23):
The amount of hands-on learning by just doing
things in this program is very,very impressive and I know
that's a very important part ofit is, if you're trying to cram
it all in there, you can't.
Cramming book knowledge inisn't really going to help these
people who are immediatelygoing on into real jobs and real
manufacturing plants.
I think it's worth pointing outso that just for our listeners
(09:45):
to know.
I mean, I think generally thereare not many women in
manufacturing.
That's.
I think that's pretty, prettycommon knowledge.
We I checked this morning sowe've had just over a thousand
graduates so far from ATDM and14% of those are women.
So that's, I honestly don'tknow how that compares to what
you would see in a traditionalplant, but that seems like that
(10:07):
is higher than you would, thanyou would think.
But for you all I mean beingthe woman on the instructional
team I mean, what is that?
What does having that role meanto you all?
I mean, what are you trying to,I guess, show the next
generation of women behind youabout what manufacturing is?
I mean, what are your thoughtson that?
Makayla Baker (10:23):
For me that's a really key aspect of why I do
what I do.
When I was actually in thewelding field, working in
manufacturing, that was such apressure that I had.
I was always the first woman inthe shop.
When I worked at Mickey's, Iwas the first woman they hired.
When I worked at John Deere, Iwas the first woman on that line
(10:44):
and so it's cool to kind ofhave that right.
But it was also so much pressureon me to perform because I knew
that if I didn't perform to ahigh standard, any woman that
came in after me was going to bejudged based on my performance
right, because that was theirfirst experience in hiring a
woman and so it was alwaysreally difficult in that field
(11:05):
and and just getting I feel likea lot more judgment based on
just being a woman in this, thismale oriented field of welding.
But being here is is is such anintentional spot for me because
I had of the women that havecome through the welding shop,
you know they look at me andthey're like I've.
You know I'm surprised there'sa woman instructor here and you
(11:28):
know it's it's kind of crazy tohear those words, but we're
changing that and to and to seethe different women that do come
through our shop and are soexcited to be under the
instruction of me, or Autumn,like it truly to me lights,
lights my day up, lights my week, my year, um, and and gives me
my why and a lot of reasons tokeep pushing and to keep
(11:49):
inspiring women out there to gointo these male oriented fields
and just do it.
Yeah.
Holly Lyle (11:54):
For me.
I don't think it was ever like,uh oh, this is why, or this is
a reason why I want to do it, oranything like that.
For the most part, it wasn'treally in my mind.
I was just kind of like this iswhat I like, so this is what.
Autumn King (12:07):
I'm going to do, but I.
Holly Lyle (12:10):
it kind of clicked for me when I had first become a
technician and one of ourstudents.
One of the students came up tome and she was just like I
didn't think I was going to doit.
She's like I thought I was justgoing to get here and then
immediately drop out.
And like I didn't think I wasgoing to do it.
She's like I thought I was justgoing to get here and then
immediately drop out and she wasjust like but I could stay
because I saw that there wasactually a girl who pulled it
(12:30):
off and I was like, oh, I didn'trealize that was actually a
thing that people looked out for.
It didn't click into my brainuntil she said it and it was
just like, oh, okay, so Iactually just my presence here
actually does have a role toplay, and so I don't think it's
ever really changed a whole lotof what I've done.
I've always had this mentalitythat whatever I do, do it to the
(12:53):
best of my ability, and I thinkthat's, whether you're a boy, a
girl, a man, a woman ifwhatever you do, you need to do
it to your best.
And I think that women can doit, and if women really want to,
they can pull it off and theyjust need to have this mentality
that it's not well, that's justa man's job, or that's only a
(13:16):
girl's job, so men can't do it,that's only a boy's job, so a
woman can't do it.
Autumn King (13:24):
It's like no, you can do it so long as you put
your mind and your heart to it.
I agree with both of what theywhat both of them said.
I think that a lot of it too isa lot of times you'll go on to
a job, like Michaela said, andsomebody else will have been
there first, and if they did agood job, then they expect you
to do a good job, whichobviously you're going to do.
Or if they did a bad job andit's like, oh well, you're going
to do.
Or if they did a bad job andit's like, oh well, you're going
to do just as bad.
But I think if you go into thejob and you just do what you
(13:47):
want to do, you don'tnecessarily act any different.
But you just can't let being awoman, you know affect how
you're going to present yourselfand do your job.
Caleb Ayers (13:56):
I mean and Michaela , you touched on this a little
bit that you were the first inseveral situations, so that
might be part of the answer tothis.
But kind of based on what youguys have seen in your
experiences, why aren't theremore women in manufacturing and
what are some?
What are, what are, I guess,some of those barriers and
obstacles that prevent morewomen from entering this field,
whether it be welding ormachining or metrology?
Makayla Baker (14:19):
I mean, yeah, I think you're right.
I did kind of partially answerthat, you know, and I think
there is a pushback in someregard to women, at least in
welding.
I've seen a lot.
I actually just went to an AWSwelding summit and when I was
there, the ratio right of men towomen at this welding summit I
could probably, out of the 80people that were there, there's
(14:42):
probably five females and I'mincluded in that five and I
really just think it's the lackof and kind of like what Holly
was saying.
You know that student, seeingher and being like I saw a girl
do it so that I stayed.
You know that showed me that Icould do it.
We need more of that, morerepresentation of women in these
jobs to let other women knowlike this is something you can
(15:04):
do.
If this is something you'reinterested in or something that
you want to end up doing, thendo it.
You know, and I really thinkthat us being here today like
definitely shows other womenthat that is something.
If I don't want to go tonursing school, I don't want to
do what, I guess the typicalwoman, I guess path is that they
can do that yeah.
Holly Lyle (15:26):
I guess this it's the whole mentality of just, oh
well, it's not even like I don'twant to.
It's more along the lines ofwell, is that really what I want
to do?
What is that really?
What does it actually look like?
Because I mean, I feel like alot of the traits have just kind
of I don't know gone out offavor, I guess.
(15:47):
So it's not even just the simplefact of, oh, I don't
necessarily want to do it.
It's more along the lines of Idon't even know what it is and
since it's a male dominatedfield, it's kind of like, well,
if a man is doing it, then it itprobably is not going to like
it.
You know, it's just, I'm goodto move to the side, but I think
(16:08):
it's more along the lines of ifthey could see what it actually
is, if they could see what itactually would mean for your job
or your career, then, and justthe joy and actually seeing a
part come together or actuallybeing a part of something bigger
than yourself, I think issomething that would put a lot
more people into those fields,whether it be man or woman.
Autumn King (16:30):
I think people are a little bit afraid of like the
bias that's still out theretowards women being in the
fields.
But you really just have tolike not necessarily accept that
, but be like this is somethingI'm going to face and just move
past it, because you're going toface bias in any field that you
go into.
You can work an office job andpeople aren't always going to be
nice to you.
You just kind of have to likeroll with the punches and do
(16:51):
your work and go home.
Caleb Ayers (16:52):
It's a good motto Do your work and go home.
Holly, you just gave anexcellent pitch for Go Tech,
which is, for those who don'tknow, is one of our programs
here that is in.
It's about to be in 72 Virginiamiddle schools.
That's all about educatingmiddle schoolers so they know
those career opportunities doexist and what they're like.
So, yeah, if they don't knowabout it, how can they?
(17:13):
How can they go do it?
So for for you guys, teachingand instructing and coaching
students, what are some momentsthat stick out to you?
And Holly, I mean, you alreadymentioned one, but what are some
moments that stick out to you?
And Holly, I mean you alreadymentioned one, but what are some
moments that stick out to youas far as, like, that's a really
cool moment that you're goingto remember, as far as it might
you know, might have been alight bulb moment where a
student couldn't get somethingand then all of a sudden, they
(17:33):
got it, or or something alongthose lines.
You know some of thoserewarding moments or stories,
even of students who have goneon from here.
Makayla Baker (17:46):
Actually, in a cohort that just recently
graduated, I had a student whowas living out of their car
before coming to this program.
You know, just didn't reallyhave anything going for them,
and this was kind of their lastshot at finding something good
for them, an avenue for them togo, and they ended up leaving
with almost all of thecertifications that we offer,
and that, to me, was just like amoment where I'm again reminded
(18:10):
of why I do this, you know, toallow people to find those
avenues and those career pathsthat can put them in a place in
life that they've always wantedto be.
Holly Lyle (18:19):
I actually can think of one student in particular.
I actually can think of onestudent in particular.
She struggled a lot in thebeginning.
Math was not her forte and shewas just like, ok, I'm done, I'm
dropping out.
And we were like, no, you cando it.
Once we get through the trig,you'll be able to make it
through the class.
And once we got through mathand we got through profile of a
(18:42):
surface and all of the trig thatwent along with that, we got on
to the CMM and the Pharaoh armand I mean she took off.
Just the joy that she got towork on the Pharaoh arm and the
CMM.
I mean she loved every minutethat she possibly could be on it
.
And we got an email back fromher not too long ago and she was
just like I'm moving up, I'vegotten my certification's like
(19:04):
normally it takes about a monthto get it.
She's like I got it in twoweeks.
She was like I just went ahead,passed all the the classes or
courses that you're supposed totake.
She's like and I kneweverything she's like and I
couldn't have done it withoutyou and Jared and Andy.
She was like it was.
It's just this freeing momentthat I actually knew I could do
it, and so that was actuallyreally cool to be like, okay,
(19:26):
you were struggling it,struggling through all of the
classes, but you pulled it off,so it was really cool.
Autumn King (19:32):
Mine shares a common theme with both of those.
I had a student and he uh, hestarted out and he struggled
like pretty much halfway throughthe whole cohort and he stayed
for tutoring pretty much everysingle day that it was offered.
And something just clicked likehalfway through and he started
picking up every single certthat he could get and by the end
of the cohort he had every cert, got a great job offer.
(19:52):
But it was somebody that, like,had never had anything their
whole life.
They came from having nothingand this program was pretty much
like their last shot, that theyfelt that they had to make
something of themselves in theirlife.
And that's just one of thosetimes where you're like, man,
I'm really just happy for thisperson.
It's a powerful moment.
Caleb Ayers (20:10):
The whole idea of ATDM is to, you know, put more
people in the maritimeindustrial base so that you know
those ships and submarines canget produced and maintained.
But obviously the secondary partof that is that those
life-changing careeropportunities that come out of
four months of training and thenyou're set up for a great
career that you were not set upfor at all four months before
(20:30):
that.
So yeah, that's.
I love hearing those stories ofstudents going from yeah, as
you said, living out of theircar to walking away with a bunch
of certifications and great joboffers.
Yeah, just the the ability ofthis program to open doors to
for people who might not havethe time or the resources to go
to community college for twoyears or to go find a program
(20:51):
that they pay for, or to travelfor a program where they have to
pay for housing.
You know, like, housing andtuition are covered and
everything is covered to openthose doors to anyone who's
willing to put the work in.
Thank you guys for being heretoday.
I enjoyed hearing the storiesand just the mission that you
(21:12):
all clearly work with, that youunderstand the bigger mission of
ATDM to help put more people inthese positions but also the
role that you all play in theseindividuals' lives who are going
on to.
I mean you're helping preparepeople for life-changing careers
.
Holly Lyle (21:25):
Thank you.
Thank you so much, caleb, Iappreciate it.
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