After working for five months at North America’s largest steel manufacturer Nucor,
Compton College alumna Emily Rubio was promoted to beam welding lead, becoming the
first female production leader at Nucor’s Warehouse Storage Systems in Los Angeles.“I started out as was a temp hire welder at Nucor for three months. During that time, I was given the opportunity to learn to program and run a million-dollar robotic MIG welding machine,” said Rubio. Nucor opens doors for its employees if you work hard and show your skills and potential. Out of all the companies I have worked for, Nucor has offered me a lot of opportunities to learn, grow, and acquire new skills in my career.”
As beam welding lead, Rubio oversees 25 welders, including 10 who operate the robotic welders. They manufacture warehouse systems equipment and supplies such as large metal shelving for companies such as Costco, Amazon, and Home Depot. Because of her skill and knowledge in operating the mig welding machine, she was asked to train other employees how to use the robotic welders at Nurcor’s new manufacturing plants opening in San Bernardino, Calif. and Georgia. In addition, she has worked with the Spanish company that manufactures the robotic welding machines, Inser Robótica, to have all the instructional materials for the machines translated into English for welders at Nucor.
“When I started working at Nucor, I was the first female welder there and helped set a standard and showed the other welders my capabilities, which lead to more female welders being hired at the company. There are four female welders on my team now that I helped recruit,” Rubio said.
Rubio is a career changer who worked for five years in accounting for FedEx right out of high school. Realizing she wasn’t happy and didn’t want to continue in an office job, she decided to enroll in college in winter 2023. “I realized I was really good at building stuff, so I wanted to get career training in a field where I could use my hands,” she said. “I looked into both electrical and welding and ultimately decided to enroll in Compton College’s welding program.”
She is grateful for the comprehensive education and training she at Compton College and she credits Welding Instructors Pamela Richardson and Ed Walker for their contributions to her success. “I now help recruit welders for my company at different colleges and I’ve realized some of the other welding programs are very different from the training and instruction I received at Compton College. In my opinion, Compton College’s program is more comprehensive and goes beyond the basics,” said Rubio. “The instructors ask what industries students are interested in and will often tailor the instruction to these interests, so students receive more comprehensive knowledge.”
Rubio earned certifications MIG, Stick, and TIG, which are each different welding methods because various metals require different techniques or materials, and some welding methods are far more suited to specific jobs than others. So, being certified in the different methods makes for a more versatile and well-rounded welder. Compton College assisted with Rubio’s first contract work placements in the Aerospace industry before she was hired full time at Nucor. “Sometimes I did feel uncomfortable as the only female welder on those early welding jobs,” she said. “I kept having to prove myself. I talked with my instructor and mentor, Pamela Richardson, who helped me a lot and inspired me to push through and be confident in my skills.”
Since starting to work as a welder in early 2024, Rubio is continuing her studies at Compton College, while working full time, to complete her associate degree in welding in addition to the certificates she has already earned. She enrolled in the college’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) – a state-funded student support program, as well as received financial aid. “The EOPS staff are super helpful, and the program assisted me with many resources and counseling so I could stay on track and focus on successfully completing the welding program,” said Rubio.
She encourages other women who are interested in a career in welding to go for it. “With my experience in this field, I want to emphasize that welding is not just for men,” said Rubio. “Women can weld, too, and anyone can succeed if they really put 100 percent into it and that includes in school. Celebrate your victories and accomplishments along the way because I feel a lot of us don’t. I really hope that someone reads my story and is inspired to enter the field of welding. I doubted myself at times, but with the support system I’ve had, I gained confidence that I could do this and be good at it.”
