WVWW Success Spotlight
Alexa Maus
Alexa Maus(31), traveled from Ohio every day(3 hours a day travel time) to attend our Step Up for Women Fall 2020 Class. She watched her previous career as a mechanic crumble in early 2020. Alexa spent the first half of the year sleeping in her car before moving back in with her mother. At the interview, Alexa stated, “ I like physical jobs and want to work with my hands and head together.” She agreed that although it was a large travel commitment that she would be willing to put in the work required each day.
Alexa quickly showed she was determined and would overcome any barrier put in front of her. During class her mother required surgery. It happened to be on the same day as the OSHA 10 class. Instead of missing the class, she participated by phone from the hospital waiting room. During her mom’s recovery from surgery, Alexa took on many farm obligations but continued to successfully progress in class.
Alexa obtained her WV Electrician Apprentice License which allowed her to meet qualifications to join MMR Group as an Electrician Apprentice. She started out at $16 an hour with benefits, per diem rates, and as much overtime as she wanted to work. Alexa stated that “ I would not be here without this program. They asked nothing of me but the commitment to show up every day and do my best.” She now has enough hours for her Journeyman license and will sit for the exam next month. Alexa says “My quality of life and earning potential went way up after I completed your program, I’ll always be grateful for that”.
Update on Alexa:
Alexa has passed her test and is now a Journeyman Electrician. We are so proud of you Alexa!
Katelyn Belcher
Katelyn Belcher(27), had found her way into some trouble and spent six months in jail for a misdemeanor. Along with the jail time, the court had also suspended her driver’s license and ordered her to take classes and pay fines before she could get it back. All of this together made finding and keeping a good job difficult for Katelyn.
She heard about the Step Up program from Craig Mosteller, Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local #625. He told her she needed to talk to Nichole Stephenson, Program Coordinator of the Step Up for Women Construction Pre-Apprenticeship training site in Kanawha Valley.
Katelyn had done a lot of work in construction before she found Step Up. She explained that even though she had some work experience, what she needed was help navigating the system. Nichole knew Step Up would be a perfect springboard for Katelyn and accepted her into the Spring 2020 class. Katelyn quickly proved herself to be a hard worker with clear goals. During her time in class, she was able to keep up with all of the assignments, stay on top of the payments for her fines, and set an aim on the next step toward her career goals all while a new barrier presented itself: Covid-19. Despite all of the challenges she faced, Katelyn kept pushing forward throughout the course. She paid the fines, got her license back, and proved herself a powerhouse when she set her mind on something.
As the Step Up class was coming to an end, Nichole was contacted by the Carpenter’s Union to help fill an opening for a new Apprentice on a highway construction project. She referred Katelyn as a stand-out student. Before class had even ended, Katelyn was hired and began on June 1, 2020, as a first-year Carpenter Apprentice with Triton Construction. Her starting hourly wage was $17.40, well above her previous $10-per-hour job. Three months after finding Step Up for Women, Katelyn’s life headed in a dramatically new direction.
What Employers are Saying
"In the construction industry and in our local job market, there is a high demand for construction workers in general, but women, in particular, are under-represented. The WV Women Work program is the only program in our area that provides training in the construction trades for women. As such, this program is invaluable to March-Westin. In fact, March-Westin has hired several graduates of your program into our apprenticeship program and we hope to continue to have the WV Women Work program as a recruitment source."
March-Westin
"Over the past several years the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #132 has utilized the Step Up program to recruit qualified women for our workforce. The program is operated by WV Women Work and has consistently provided us with highly skilled, female, entry-level workers we need."
International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #132