SaturdayJune 27, 2026

Women in Manufacturing Summit at Black Hawk College shows girls their place in blue-collar careers

By: Dave Thompson|March 17, 2026
|6 min read
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    • David Hull, a welding instructor at Black Hawk College, helps Azzy Thacher, 13, with a virtual welding exercise on Friday, March 6, during the Women in Manufacturing Summit at Black Hawk in Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON

    David Hull, a welding instructor at Black Hawk College, helps Azzy Thacher, 13, with a virtual welding exercise on Friday, March 6, during the Women in Manufacturing Summit at Black Hawk in Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON

    For years, Paul Smith has been trying to change the face of manufacturing — one student at a time. Recently, he had about 100 of them to work with.

    “I hope they get the bug for these manufacturing jobs. They’re good jobs…. And it’s not a man’s world anymore,” the Black Hawk College instructor said.

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