From customer service rep to machinist, this inspiring story was brought to our attention by John Phillips from PPI. It’s a testament to the human spirit and the genuine opportunities available in the United States. If you have or know of an inspiring manufacturing story, please feel free to share it with cphillips@phillipsmedicraft.com.
Career as a Machinist is Challenging, Rewarding for Mother of Three
Fran Barker Can Now Spend Quality Time with Her Family while Embarking on a Lucrative, Rewarding Career at Specials Metals Co. Fran Barker was not satisfied with her job in customer service in the restaurant industry. She had erratic hours and a nonguaranteed pay structure, and her husband had recently become disabled with complications from diabetes. Because of night hours, she felt she had missed out on raising her three teenage boys. It was time for a career change.
When the West Virginia Women Work (WVWW) Pre-Apprenticeship Program popped up on an employment search website, Barker thought, “I need this. I can do this!” At age 37, she applied for the program and was accepted.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty with my husband’s condition right now,” she explained. “I didn’t have a set schedule where I worked before. And with a manufacturing job, I knew I could get more time with my kids.”
The program included flexible online workforce education from Tooling U-SME and hands-on lab work at the Robert C. Byrd Institute machine shop. “It was really hard juggling my husband’s needs and my three boys,” Barker said. “Having the flexibility to work on my Tooling U-SME online classes at home helped a lot.” Read More>>>