From Sparks to Success: Welding Program Grows at USU Blanding

When Utah State University Blanding launched its welding program, it began with just nine students and a big goal: Offer practical, life-changing training in a hands-on trade.

A year and a half later, enrollment has more than tripled, and the program is helping students from Indigenous and rural communities build the confidence and skills needed to launch their careers and shape their futures.

“It really speaks to how much welding was needed down here,” said Chloe Wilson, USU Blanding welding instructor. “Many of our students grew up around welding, but didn’t have a place to pursue it professionally until now.”

Wilson, who started welding in high school and earned her associate’s degree at USU Eastern, brings both professional experience and passion to her role. After welding for several years in Salt Lake City, she returned to her educational roots, helping establish USU Moab’s welding shop before building the welding program from the ground up in Blanding.

Since then, her goal has been to create not only a strong technical program but a tight-knit, supportive learning community.

"I've tried to build a strong sense of connection in the classroom," she said. "I think students stay and succeed because they know they are supported and seen."

One of the most notable developments has been the rise in female enrollment in the program. Nationally, only 5 to 10 percent of welders are women. In the USU Blanding welding program, that number jumps to 35 percent.

Much of that progress can be attributed to Wilson herself.

“Representation makes a difference,” Wilson said. “Many women don’t pursue welding because they don’t see others like them in the field. Having a female instructor makes it easier for them to see that this is a space they belong in."

That was true for Khiara Kinsel. With an interest in engineering and a love for hands-on work, the welding program caught her eye – but she wasn’t sure if she would belong in the shop. One conversation with Wilson changed all that. Kinsel found the welding instructor supportive and encouraging.

“She pushes you beyond your own limits because she knows you can do better,” Kinsel said. “She really wants the best for you.”

Kinsel has embraced the challenge that welding has introduced into her life, learning industry terminology and expressing her artistic side. She has found a supportive community in the shop, bonding with students and instructors alike. Most of all, she has built skills that will help her in her future career.

“It’s about being motivated, being an active learner, collaborating, and problem solving,” she said. “All of those are skills I’ve built here.”

For Wilson, watching students gain confidence as they develop their welding skills is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“Welding changes lives here,” Wilson said. “Students prove to themselves they can do something difficult, and that confidence carries into everything else.”

Another standout feature of the Blanding program is its accessibility. Thanks to scholarship opportunities, many graduate without any student debt. The welding certificate program’s two-to-three-semester structure offers a fast track to high-demand jobs, making the program especially appealing to students from low-income households or those seeking a career change.

“Many of our students come from generational poverty,” Wilson said. “This gives them a way to change the course of their family and future.”

Moving forward, Wilson hopes to see continued growth and strong job placement for her welding graduates. More than anything, she wants her students to have options, to provide for themselves and their families, and to take pride in a skill that can transform their lives and their communities.

“This work matters,” she said. “And I’m honored to be part of it.”