America needs more skilled trade workers and increasingly women are being groomed to fill that need.
At JEA, Jacksonville’s community-owned utility, an employee resource group called Women in Trade works to ensure JEA can provide reliable electric, water and sewer services to our community. The group’s members frequently speak to young women at Jacksonville high schools and colleges to tout the benefits of choosing a trade career.
“We want young women to know that we will train you and help you learn a trade,” said David Emanuel, JEA’s Chief Human Resource Officer and co-chair of Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Advancement Network. “We offer well-paying jobs with opportunities for advancement. JEA is a great place to work.”
Just ask Carissa Seay, a Wastewater Reuse Treatment E&I technician. Her job is to inspect wastewater facilities in order to verify systems and equipment are working properly, and to make repairs as needed. “If you had told me in high school or college that I would be doing this as a career, I would have laughed,” said Seay, who graduated from Yulee High School and UNF. “Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Janelle Thomas-Hatch echoes that sentiment. “I believe more women should give non-traditional trade roles a chance,” said Thomas-Hatch, a Jacksonville native with a degree from Flagler College, who has worked at JEA for 13 years. “They can be very rewarding.”
Thomas-Hatch helps control the systems that keep JEA power plants working and ensures the facilities are operational and safe. She is a Safety SHAPE representative, a volunteer position that advocates and champions safety in in the workplace.
Thomas-Hatch and Seay both worked in other fields before pursuing their trade careers. Both first heard about working in trades from men who worked in the field. And both possessed skills, such as adaptability, critical thinking and patience that have helped them succeed in their trade.
“I enjoy the trouble-shooting aspect of my job,” Thomas-Hatch said.
“My job is rewarding because what I do directly impacts the community,” Seay said.
Thomas-Hatch and Seay started their training through the apprenticeship program at the Electrical Training Alliance of Jacksonville. After completing the five-year program, both women earned their professional licenses. At JEA, their professional training continues with JEA’s state-certified training programs.
JEA invests in the community by offering high school and college students a variety of apprenticeships, internships and mentoring programs. These programs provide hands-on experience for students, preparing them to become highly trained professionals in their field.
Thomas-Hatch encourages students interested in trade careers to explore opportunities in career and technical education programs offered at local high schools. Learn more on jea.com.
“If your school doesn’t offer a program, look for an internship,” said Thomas-Hatch.
Volunteering can also help those interested test the waters to see if they enjoy working in the trades. Seay recommends volunteering for organizations like Habitat for Humanity that work outside and use a variety of tools. Above all, Seay says don’t be intimated.
“We love what we do, and we would love to see more women working in the trades,” she said.