FAMILY TIES INFLUENCE WELDING CAREER

by Marty Baker

A talent for welding is passed along from one generation to another in Jason McGowan’s family.  His grandfather and great-uncle were both pipefitters / welders as is his father, Charles McGowan. 

“I grew up wanting to weld because my dad did it,” says Jason. 

In 1966, Charles attended Hobart Institute and now, some 36 years later, Jason is following in his footsteps, picking up some classes to broaden his opportunities.  Jason graduated from Laurel Oaks JVS in Wilmington, Ohio, in 1993 where he took two years of welding.  For ten years, he was employed as a structural welder, fabricating metal buildings.  A steady job made it possible for him to get married and have his own home including five acres near Leesburg, Ohio.  When the company changed owners and Jason became a displaced worker, he sought the services of Workforce Services Unlimited.   Through their financial assistance with government funding, Jason was able to expand his expertise and plans to become a welder in the aircraft industry.

A strong work ethic that he learned from his parents, Bernice and Charles McGowan (maintenance welder for a major aircraft engine plant), along with the influence and support from the rest of his family, including Bethany, his wife, and her parents, Charlene and Wichita Murphy (retired captain of the fire department of Wright Patterson Air Force Base), his brother, Jeff (a truck driver), and in-laws, Jimmy (automotive industry employee) and Carey Swanner have contributed to his success.  Bethany is currently working as a surgery scheduler at Clinton Memorial Hospital while attending classes at Southern State Community College in Hillsboro.

“I really owe a lot to the support I have had from my family,” says Jason.  “I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for their encouragement.”

There is no lack of ambition in this family.  All members mentioned above are employed. 

Evidence of Jason’s strong work ethic is visible through his steady employment history and his dedication to furthering his education.  He will definitely be an asset to any company’s workforce.