Ford Woodhaven Stamping Plant honors Rosie the Riveter
WOODHAVEN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - It doesn't always take a man to do the heavy lifting.
Women are carrying a big part of the load in the tool and die department at the Ford Woodhaven Stamping Plant.
"Women need to be in skilled trades," said tool and die maker Cassandra Valentine. "Tool and die, it's a dying trade. Not many people are getting into it anymore. They'd rather be tech-savvy. Well, without tool and die, you don't have washers and dryers, you don't have microwave frames, you don't have cars, you don't have trucks. You don't have a lot of things."
The spirit of Rosie the Riveter is alive and well.
The iconic character was used in a campaign to represent women taking on factory jobs during World War II to replace men who went to combat.
"It opened up a whole new demographic for women in the workforce," Valentine says.
Valentine is leading the charge at the plant to honor women in skilled trades.
She created a display showing women from the World War II era working in production, in contrast to today's women taking on similar roles.
"I tried to show that women are doing the jobs that men were doing many years ago and we're more than capable," Valentine said.
She says she wants to motivate young girls to explore the world of manufacturing and consider it as a career option.
"I run machines, I work on lathes, mills, anything like that," Valentine said.
"It's a pride. It's a passion. It's OK to get your hands dirty. It's OK to drive a Hilo. Its OK to be a welder. Its OK to run production because it pays the bills."