Ironworking isn't a job typically associated with top-notch perks. Yet the relatively small number of women in the trade now have something in common with workers at some marquee Silicon Valley firms.

Vocational enrollment is up among younger Americans as the toolbelt generation takes shape, and one nurse-turned-union ironworker thinks it's a good opportunity for students to secure their futures.

We talked to journeyman ironworker and motivational speaker Jamie McMillan about what led her to start a career in the skilled trades and why she thinks more women should do the same. What inspired ...