Did you know that the US has a shortage of welders? Me either. But after reading a NYT article in 2009, Pa'Trice Frazier took a trip to her local school to ask if the statistics were true. Sure enough, the instructors confirmed that the US had a shortage of 150-200K welders on their hands. Pa'Trice signed up on the spot to become a welder.
After becoming a certified welder, Pa'Trice spent the next years of her life traveling the US. How did she find work? She showed up where project job crews ate. She'd tell them she was a badass welder and asked if they needed one. This is how Pa'Trice began her career and how she gained the skills to become an award winning welder.
From Mercedes Benz Stadium and Seaport Musuem in Atlanta to submarines, Pa'Trice has worked in tight spaces, fun spaces, and on time crunches. Pa'Trice is really, really good at what she does. In fact, Pa'Trice believes women have an advantage when it comes to welding.
Pa'Trice could have stopped there; kept working hard, earning an excellent income, and excelling at her career. But this is not in Pa'Trice's nature.
In 2019 Pa'Trice founded Weld Jointed to guide young people who are looking for something more from life. She saw a path for youth who were looking for it; fill the gap that our nation needed to secure our infrastructure and give these young people a solid path as a welder.
Now, when Pa'Trice isn't letting it burn, baby, she serves as a self designated Welding Ambassador. She visits schools and events to talk to young people about welding. She mentors youth by helping them get into a welding program, find a job when they come out, and even get their PPE to get them started. She guides these young people into an incredible career! Imagine having had a Pa'Trice in your life?!
Pa'Trice is one of these people who just keeps doing the work she is doing. She has too much to do to kick back admiring her life.
Our interview was almost over before Pa'Trice causally mentioned the curriculum she is developing for prisoners! While Pa'Trice recognizes the importance of this work, she sees it as no big deal that she is the one doing it. In her opinion God gave her the ability to help, so she does.
