LBCC Then and Now - Women in the Trades
Emily Whittier was hired last term as a part-time instructional specialist in the non-destructive testing program at LBCC. She began working in the industry about 15 years ago when she found that her job as a hairdresser just wasn’t paying the bills. Emily Whittier prepares a part for testing “I had to figure something else out,” Whittier said. “I got a job at Selmet through a temp agency. I started out as an entry-level darkroom attendant and I really liked it. It was easy, fun and even though I initially made less money per hour, I was making more because I always got 40 or more hours a week.” Whittier, who also works as a level II radiographer with Pacific Cast Technologies, makes about $29 an hour now. She worked at Selmet for 11 years and received on-the-job training that enabled her to move forward in the field and obtain her level I and level II radiographer certifications. Currently Whittier is one of only two females employed in academic roles in LBCC's A