Increasing numbers of women attending PHAZE Welding Technology Center in Peterborough

At PHAZE Welding Technology Center, women make up a growing percentage of new students.

“Women are an untapped resource in the skilled trades,” said Dan Guillou, founder and owner of the PHAZE, on Vose Farm Road in Peterborough. “I say this at every industry meeting I go to. Right now, only about 11% of skilled trades are women.”

Earlier this year, Guillou realized the percentage of women students at PHAZE was nearing 40%, which is far higher than the national average.

“Since 2019, we’ve had about two to three female students per year, but about halfway through 2024, we had this huge uptick in admissions of women,” Guillou said. “It seems like when women come in and see the shop and see other women in here, they decide this is where they want to go. They know they’re not going to be the only one. The culture has been created here.” 

Alyssa Hall of Swanzey, who has been a student at PHAZE since September, said of all the options she looked at after graduating from high school, welding was the one that “caught her eye the most.”

“I had originally thought about being a mechanic,” Hall said. “But people kept telling me, ‘Be sure to choose work that you really love and have a career that you love.’ When I found welding, I knew I wanted this to be my career.”

Hall said she appreciates being able to use her welding skills at home and apply them to her own projects.

“I love being able to work on my truck,” she said. 

According to Guillou,  pay equity in skilled trades is a huge draw for women.

“If you’re a welder, you are going to get paid for the job. Two welders on the same bridge are going to make the same thing, no matter who they are. In corporate America, that’s not true,” Guillou said. 

Guillou said PHAZE sees a lot of women coming to welding from careers in healthcare, particularly nursing. 

“My mom was a nurse, and I know she worked double and sometimes triple shifts. I can’t even imagine what  it’s like now,” he said. “I’d say a huge percentage of my female students are leaving health care.” 

According to Guillou, women are in demand particularly as TIG welders, which requires more attention to detail.

“There are significant differences between men and women when it comes to welding. We have employers who ask for female TIG welders. They are more interested in hiring women for those positions because of their attention to detail and their skill at fine work. In general, women are more skilled at precise work; it is like their superpower,”  Guillou said. “Guys are more like, ‘Let’s hit it with a sledgehammer.’ ” 

After retiring early, Guillou started PHAZE Welding Technology Center to give back to the community, offering classes through MAxT Makerspace and to high school students enrolled in ConVal’s CTE center. As demand for welding classes kept growing, Guillou realized there was a huge, untapped need for a full-time, non-traditional welding program in the area. 

“People who want to try to get into a new career while they’re trying to work and support families can’t do traditional community college programs,” Guillou said. “The demand far outstrips the need. It’s expensive. There aren’t enough classes. There are waiting lists. They have to work. People just can’t do it.” 

Guillou developed his own curriculum, the multidimensional accelerator training model,  to meet the needs of his students. The model is inspired by a program Guillou attended in  St. Johnsbury, Vt.,  and includes multiple levels of certification. Curriculum areas include welding process and technology, cutting process, abrasives, tools and equipment, metal and gas handling, safety and problem-solving. 

PHAZE is open six days a week, and open until 7 p.m. two nights a week. Students progress at their own pace and are welcome to come whenever the center is open. 

“We need more independent programs like this where people can focus and do accelerated training. There are over 2 million unfilled welding jobs in this country right now. I can only train 200 new welders a year,” Guillou said. 

Zack Boyd of Bennington, who began taking classes at PHAZE to complete his credits at ConVal during COVID, received his welding certification and now runs his own business out of a shop he built himself. He now volunteers and helps out at PHAZE in his spare time. 

“College is not for everyone. I always wanted to work, and I love running my own businesses,” Boyd said. “The skills I have, the things I’m good at, are not the same as you learn in school, but it’s just as valuable.” 

To learn more about PHAZE Welding Technology Center, go to phazewtc.com.