Fluor Foundation scholarships help women pursue construction careers
April 28, 2016
The Fluor Foundation established the Craft Education Initiative to create a pipeline of skilled craft professionals to meet the company’s growing manpower needs. In Greenville, a strong emphasis is placed on attracting females to these traditionally male-dominated careers.
Two of the initiative’s first Greenville recipients received scholarships to complete the Welding program at Greenville Technical College. Dominique Cowan and Vicki Dueck have earned top grades and the respect of their instructors and classmates for their work in this traditionally male field.
Dominique got interested in welding through her Dad, a project director with Fluor Corporation and a friend who works as a welder. A 2005 graduate of Greenville Technical Charter High School, she enrolled at GTC after graduation but wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. The next eight years were spent in retail and home care positions. When she returned to GTC a year ago, it wasn’t love at first weld as she suffered a few minor burns during her initial attempts. By the second semester, however, she had found her niche, and she’s excelled ever since. Recently, she was part of a SkillsUSA Team that earned first place in regional competition. The group hopes to raise funds to compete at the national level.
Vicki enrolled in the program when her daughter left home for college. Always artistic, the Welding program captured her interest right away. At the time, she and a business partner were repurposing used furniture, and she thought the program would help with that. When her partner moved that business to another state, Vicki realized that she wanted to be a full-time welder, and her hope is that she can find an apprenticeship position when she graduates at the end of the summer with certifications in flux core, arc, stainless steel pipe and pipe welding. Welding, she says, will allow her to work anywhere, and she looks forward to traveling to pursue opportunities.
Les Gardner (far left) and Michelle McCallum (far right) of the Greenville Tech Foundation with (left to right) students Dominique Cowan and Vicki Dueck and Fluor employees Diane Ross and Cheryl Wiggins.
The scholarships are benefitting the students, the college, and soon, will benefit employers. “We are grateful to Fluor Foundation for providing scholarships that are helping women break into some of the excellent positions available in welding and other skilled crafts,” said Kelvin Byrd, department head for Industrial Education at GTC. “Dominique and Vicki are excellent students and highly skilled welders. They have set a very high standard for recipients of this important scholarship, and we look forward to the next group of recipients.”
“Congratulations to Dominique and Vicki for not only earning their scholarships but working towards graduating from GTC with in-demand welding skills that will serve them well far into the future,” said Torrence Robinson, president of the Fluor Foundation.
About Fluor Corporation
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) is a global engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and maintenance company that designs, builds and maintains capital-efficient facilities for its clients on six continents. For more than a century, Fluor has served clients by delivering innovative and integrated solutions for our clients in the energy, chemicals, government, industrial, infrastructure, mining and metals, and power market sectors. With headquarters in Irving, Texas, Fluor ranks 136 on the FORTUNE 500 list with revenue of $18.1 billion in 2015 and has 59,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.fluor.com or follow us on Twitter @FluorCorp.
About Greenville Technical College
Greenville Technical College (GTC) is a four-campus system where nearly 30,000 students are annually preparing for the strongest careers of today and tomorrow. Established in 1962, the college’s mission is to drive personal and economic growth through learning. With more than 100 curriculum program choices along with short-term training for career and personal development, Greenville Technical College gives employers a ready supply of skilled workers and provides students with an education that will help them succeed. First accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in 1968, the college’s accreditation was reaffirmed in 2013 for a ten-year period – the maximum time period possible. Regional accreditation allows students to transfer easily and gives employers assurance that job candidates from Greenville Technical College have received a quality education.
GTC promotes a respectful campus culture that reflects appreciation for diversity and inclusion at all levels. For more information about the college and its programs, professors and partnerships, visit www.gvltec.edu.
Visit www.gvltec.edu/gainful-employment for important information about the educational debt, earnings and graduation rates of students who attended programs.
