Earlier this year, Callum Williamson delivered a presentation on friction stir welding to students of Tyne Coast College.

Callum was informed by the college’s Work Placement Officer that they had a very inspiring individual who changed professions around the time of COVID-19. This individual, who was excelling in their Welding and Fabrication qualification, was Ruth Bolton.

Callum had the pleasure to sit down with Ruth to discuss her passions and what led her to change careers.

Thank you, Ruth, for taking the time to talk with me. Could you tell our readers a little more about your previous career as a NHS Scrub Nurse?

“Absolutely! I was previously a Scrub Nurse in the Hepatobiliary Department. Hepatobiliary focuses on disorders of the liver and gallbladder. As part of the department I was working with, the Lower Abdominal Transplantations team, I helped cover and work with organ transplants across the UK.”

Okay, wow! That’s a pretty big jump - going from NHS Scrub Nurse to welding. Can you tell me more about why you looked at a career change?

“Well… COVID-19 happened. During the pandemic I was frontline staff and a key worker. After the pandemic abated somewhat and the infection rate grew low, I felt like I seriously needed to sit down and re-evaluate whether my current values and passions were aligned with what I was doing. Sadly, I understood that my values didn’t align, and I started looking for other opportunities”

I feel like we all can empathise with what your thought process was there, and I’m glad you were able to make a decision that benefitted what you needed at the time. Can you tell our readers more about what specifically drew you to welding and fabrication?

“I always wanted to do it when I was younger, especially when I was looking to leave school. I know things are very different now but, when I was in education, strangely, engineering was looked down upon, especially for women. I ended up doing Electronics Design and Technology, which, at the time, wasn’t always accepted by universities as a qualification. Which is why I didn’t progress it further.”

Thank you for sharing that. Were there any engineers within your family that you could draw inspiration from or that influenced you?

“Yes, my grandfather! He actually worked for Caterpillar for over 25 years.”

Interesting, so you were at least exposed to engineering early on in your life because of your grandfather. I am sorry to hear that you had that negative and exclusionary schooling. I know the views between 1970 and well… realistically, the early 2000s did discourage women who considered becoming engineers. Which is why I am so glad that I am seeing more and more women getting into the industry at younger ages.

To pivot to a more idealistic question. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What job opportunities are you hoping to find and where can you see this new career taking you?

“That’s actually a difficult question to answer. Since starting this course, I’ve been subject to so many new ways of thinking and so many opportunities. It’s opened up so many new possibilities. I almost feel like a ‘kid in a candy shop’ now. So it’s quite difficult to predict. With being quite early on, on my course, I feel like I’m still looking through a keyhole to this brand new world.”

Do you have any clue as to a sector you would like to specialise in?

“It’s still quite difficult to say. What I do know is, I love learning and investigating new processes. So maybe it would be easier to say I think I would work in ‘process’ driven teams in any sector.”

Oh that’s Interesting! So, logically your career pathway may include universities for higher education routes or hitting the ground running with process controller pathways. Given you do have an understanding of where you’d like to go with this new career, if you were to go back to Pre-COVID-19 or during COVID-19, what career advice would you give yourself?

“Ha ha, I’d have quit much sooner. It’s funny really, as I had looked into welding before COVID hit. With being a mature student, the funding rules were a little more strict with regard to paying for the course. So I opted to not proceed, as I couldn’t afford it. There was a course being ran out of Middlesborough that I had looked into. But the cost of being in full-time education, running my own home, transport and essentials… I really couldn’t have afforded it. Looking back, it’s a shame I couldn’t have followed through with it.”

That is a bit of a shame. Do you feel like you now have the funding you need to be able to take this course? I mean, obviously, you are here…

“I do! I am really glad that the funding rules changed and that there were more funding options available for me. I looked into doing apprenticeships over 10 years ago now, and I can say they are completely different.”

You are 100% correct there, Ruth. Apprenticeships have changed. It’s no longer just a young person’s game. I see more and more students from all age demographics picking up apprenticeships now. The funding elements are more inclusive. There is not as much emphasis on employers and training providers getting bonuses for taking on young students. These days, with how well employers and training providers are working together, it’s never been easier to excel in work and education.

Going with the theme of career change and opportunities. Is there any advice you would give others, both older and younger, who are considering a career change?

“I know it can seem very scary. Looking at my parents, they had one interview, one job and then they retired. With the cost of living now, we aren’t retiring at 55 or even 65. Even at 40, it feels like we’re still going to be working another 40 years. It’s the new reality. But it’s not intimidating any more, to look at changing things. From what I’ve done so far, I’ve developed all of these new skills and I’ve been able to hone others. I know there are employers who would love to have these skills within their teams both my new ones and my old ones.”

I love a good transferable skill…

“…It also helps that I think employers secretly love hiring ex-nurses.”

Last question, I promise. We’re going to end on a broad one. Why should anyone, all age groups, all genders, all backgrounds, consider taking education and possibly a starting a career in engineering, welding and/or fabrication?

“I think for welding and fabrication, it opens a lot of doors that you don’t necessarily realise are there. Like when I first started out, I thought that I would be at a bench laying down beads all day… that is such an inaccuracy. That’s the exact opposite of what we do here. It’s such a massive field, especially if you are young and athletic. You can deep-sea dive and get paid to weld, if you’re more computer focused, you can program and/or design machines and teach them how to do difficult welding tasks. The way I see it is; if you are passionate about something, there will be a way to apply it within a welding and fabrication career.”

This interview was very insightful. Especially to me, as I’ve often considered what field I would look into, if I ever decided to re-train or make a career change.

Making such a large change, just after the pandemic had died down and to THRIVE in that change, shows just how committed Ruth is to developing the skills necessary to become the newest of ‘Tomorrows Engineers.’

I hope you have all enjoyed the interview and hopefully I can bring more to you.

Callum Williamson
Education, Accreditation and Approvals Officer