When Jackie Norman was hired as an organizer with Louisville, Ky., Local 369 last September, she was asked by Business Manager Ed Devine why she thought more women didn't join the skilled trades. She shared her opinions, but she also had a plan.
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| EmpowHer attendees got hands-on experience in six different aspects of the electrical trade and heard from guest speakers including the first woman master electrician in the state.
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"I've been in the field for the last eight years, and over time I've gained a clear picture as to what the disconnect was, so together we started brainstorming on how we could be more inclusive and bring more women in," Norman said.
The biggest barriers for women in her community, Norman said, are a lack of representation of women in the industry, the initial cost of tools and boots, being unaware of a pathway to the trades, child care, and the intimidation of trying something completely different. The "EmpowHer" event she came up with aimed to break them all down, one woman-led, hands-on workshop at a time.
Norman recruited her journeyman sisters and apprentices to help run the event, held July 24, giving the participants the opportunity to see and learn from other women. She got signatory contractors and other organizations — like Dress for Success, which gives free clothing to women entering new careers — to donate tools, boots and personal protective equipment. She even got the Louisville Office for Women to provide free child care. Her efforts resulted in 23 women from all different backgrounds attending.
"She knocked this one out of the park," Devine said. "For this being our first event like this, I couldn't be happier."
Norman advertised at job fairs and jobsites, on social media, and through community partners and nonprofit organizations like Louisville Girls' Leadership and the Urban League, as well as union allies like the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
She made fliers and brochures for pregnancy resource centers and domestic violence shelters. She even went through Local 369's online job applications and found any woman who had applied and reached out to them individually.
Like anything worth doing, it took a lot of time and effort, but it paid off. "The event more than exceeded expectations," Norman said. "With the support of our community and sponsors, we removed barriers for 23 women."
The event included a lot of hands-on activity designed around six aspects of the electrical trade. There were 35-minute workshops on teledata, conduit bending, solar power, basic circuitry, battery-operated power tools and scissor lift operation, with a scissor lift donated by signatory contractor Ready Electric.
Attendees also heard from guest speakers including Karen Waters-Hicks, the first female master electrician in Kentucky; Gretchen Hunt from the city's Office for Women; and Mary Taylor with the Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education.
In addition to the donations of boots and tools, the women went home with a Local 369-themed cup and shirt and a certificate of completion. Norman also added them to the local's text notification list so they can receive updates about future events and meetings.
And there's a good chance she'll see a lot of them again: Over half of those who attended are applying to the apprenticeship.
"EmpowHer removed all of those barriers in just one day," Norman said. "It's a testament to what we can achieve, both at the local and the national level."
Norman also noted how events like this benefit not only the attendees but the member volunteers as well. In a survey at the end of the event, a number of the 15 journeyman and apprentice sisters, as well as the guest speakers, said it was fulfilling to share their skills with other women.
"That was the most inspirational thing I have done in a very long time," said Waters-Hicks, who works as the division manager for signatory contractor Comstock Brothers Electric. "To see the light in some of the faces was priceless. Sign me up to help every year."
The responses from the attendees were just as promising. Eighty-five percent rated the quality of information provided as "excellent." And 95% said it changed their perception of careers in the electrical industry and that they'd recommend an EmpowHer event to others.
One attendee said she appreciated having a "judgement-free day to learn new opportunities." Another said she liked "getting to talk to the volunteers and hear their stories of what brought them to the industry and their experiences with it."
For Norman, the event also gave her a way to connect with women who came from a background similar to her own.
"I came from nothing, had nothing. I owe all my successes to this organization," she said. "I joined when I was 18, and this local practically raised me. It gave me a playing field that I didn't know existed before."
Like the other volunteers, Norman said it was rewarding to be able to offer the women a path to a life-changing career.
"As the participants completed each station, you could see the tidal wave of confidence swelling from them. … They saw a bright light at the end of their tunnel for the first time," she said. "Watching that hope spark was truly gratifying."
Norman said the local plans to make EmpowHer an annual event and will fill up the rest of the calendar with other recruitment opportunities like job fairs and speaking at vocational schools. She also plans to use the relationships she's built in the community to attend events that might otherwise not have a tradeswoman present.
Recruiting more women to the trade is a first step for the IBEW to ensure that it has the workforce the economy will need as demand for electrical workers soars, but Norman is not leaving out the long-term retention part of the equation. Local 369 started its Women's Committee in April 2023, and it has monthly meetings and bimonthly activities that have included a self-defense class, cookouts and bowling.
"We recognize that organizing comes from within," Norman said. "It's not just about bringing more women in. We must also change the culture and environment for the sisters we already have."