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Discover how Emma Williams found her passion for the electrical industry through a simple Google search. Read her inspiring story here.

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How a Google Search Led to an Electrician | SkillHero Blog

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*This article is republished with the permission of Powering Chicago. The original article can be found [here](https://poweringchicago.com/emma-williams-union-electrician/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=emma-blog).*

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In the years after graduating from Chicago’s Lane Tech High School, Emma Williams was at loose ends and unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. By age 21 she was working in retail as a cashier, but not making enough money to live comfortably and very much uninterested in spending the rest of the working years of her life doing the same thing day after day. Emma wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she had always been interested in electricity and how flipping a light switch illuminated the room or pressing a button on a TV caused it to turn on. Reflecting on this, Emma took the first step toward a better career as an IBEW Local 134 electrician with a simple Google search for “__how to become an electrician__.”

One of the first results that appeared on the screen was for Chicago Women in Trades, a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that all women who want to work with their hands and earn a good living have equal access to information, training and employment opportunities in the trades. When Emma researched the organization and found the Technical Opportunities program, her uncertainty about her professional future began to disappear. In many ways, the program seemed to have been designed specifically for someone like her who had never been mechanically inclined.

Emma quickly signed up for the program, and was soon spending two evenings each week learning about the construction industry, practicing hands-on skills, going through physical training and gaining the technical knowledge to transition into an electrical apprenticeship program by working on math comprehension and brushing up on her English skills. Each Saturday, she joined other participants in the program on a trip to a job site, where they learned about different unionized trades in the construction industry. Although Emma already knew she wanted to pursue a career as a union electrician, she credits Chicago Women in Trades’ program with giving her the foundation she needed to fully commit to pursuing an apprenticeship at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute.

“__*It was very helpful*__,” Emma says. “*__They teach you the basics and bring you to the door, and then you have to walk through that door.__*”

Walking “through the door” for Emma meant enrolling in the unionized electrical industry’s Trainee Program, a yearlong program that provides an introduction to the electrical industry and practical education for prospective apprentices. The Trainee programs begins with an orientation day, followed by five unpaid eight-hour workplace preparation sessions to prepare trainees for an entry-level job in the electrical construction industry. Trainees are then assigned to an electrical contractor and work on a jobsite for their remaining time in the program, earning a living wage to perform general labor on the project. As someone who had limited exposure to the electrical industry before becoming a trainee, Emma reflects on her time in the program as a great opportunity to learn the basics needed to succeed as an apprentice.

“*__You’re on the jobsite everyday helping move material and getting tools for the journeyperson electricians, and I think that’s really beneficial for those of us who don’t know a lot about the trade coming into the program,__*” Emma says. “__*You’re spending every day getting people what they need on the jobsite, and that’s how you learn.*__”

As part of the Trainee Program, Emma also participated in Jump Start, a 24-hour intensive classroom instruction program that provides seminars on the electrical industry and guidance on how to prepare physically and mentally for construction work, as well as instruction on test preparation and basic work skills to help prepare Trainees to enter the apprenticeship program. Along with the Trainee program, it was exactly what Emma needed to take the next step in her journey to a better career as an IBEW Local 134 electrician.

“*__A lot of the Jump Start program is test prep, and it was very effective,__*” Emma says. “*__When I took the test to get into the apprenticeship program, I got in on my first shot, and Jump Start helped with that a lot. I was not mechanically inclined when I decided I wanted to get into this career, but with all of the preparation before taking the apprenticeship test I learned what it meant to be a good electrician.__*”

Now a third-year apprentice, Emma has continued to build her skills through classes at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute and gain real-world experience through rotations with signatory electrical contractors. The broad-based nature of the apprenticeship program has also exposed her to different types of electrical work, providing her with a better idea of what she wants to do once she becomes a journeyperson electrician.

“*__When you’re an apprentice you don’t get to choose what you do, which means you’re learning about a lot of different things,__*” Emma says. “*__Because of that, I’ve found that I’m drawn to the way motors work. Once I finish my apprenticeship, that’s where my focus is going to be. There’s a lot more to electrical work than piping and pulling wire, and the programming and motor controls are super fascinating to me. I’m actually in a class for that right now, and I’m learning so much. It’s really exciting.__*”  

As an African-American female who’s also only five feet tall, Emma is defying a number of stereotypes about what a member of the construction industry looks like. And though she notes some of the challenges inherent in not fitting what many people might mistakenly consider the “typical” electrician, none of those challenges have dissuaded her from continuing to pursue a career in the trade. Particularly because it’s a path that will allow her to do something she’s passionate about while enjoying the many benefits of a well-paying career with ongoing education and training opportunities as an IBEW Local 134 electrician. She’s also paying it forward to help others like her who might not know that a career in the trade is a possibility.

<a href="https://twitter.com/PoweringChicago/status/1638209854794878978" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://twitter.com/PoweringChicago/status/1638209854794878978</a>

“*__I feel like to get more women involved, we basically just need to be exposed to it,__*” Emma says.  “*__When I was in high school, I didn’t know anything about the trades. Once you learn about it and what’s possible, I think there are a lot of women who would find it interesting and something that they want to pursue. Whenever Chicago Women in Trades is doing their electrician day, I always volunteer. This is a career that more women should know about.__*”


Emma Williams success story as an electrician and how it has made others take up the challenge to change their stories and learn a skill.

Emma Williams’ Story - How a Google Search Led to a Better Career in the Union Electrical Industry

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Melvin Henley's success story growing as a carpenter and creating PAC leaders that keep giving and changing the world.

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Melvin Henley: PAC Carpenter | SkillHero Blog

*This article is republished with the permission of Nashville Voyager. The original article can be found [here](https://nashvillevoyager.com/interview/meet-melvin-henley-of-pac-leaders/).*

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__Hi Melvin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?__

*"I am a 20-year Chicago certified Union Carpenter by trade. I graduated Valedictorian from elementary school and took carpentry for four years as my major at a vocational high school. After graduating from high school and from an accelerated program at DePaul University, I began my career as a carpenter in 2002. Over the next 15 years, I worked diligently to learn many different facets of carpentry and major components of leadership. I am a certified Journeyman with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) and has received my Foreman and Superintendent training certificates and two leadership training certifications from the UBC International Training Center. On November 21, 2017, I founded PAC (Project and Construction) Leaders, a general contracting and construction management company, as the first step to materializing my vision of a broad and positive community impact. Adopting my personal philosophies, PAC Leaders is dedicated to serving clients’ needs with the highest level of integrity, honesty through ethical behavior, attention to detail, and best industry practices. Whether servicing past commercial clients like the Salvation Army or The Chicago History Museum, completing restaurant/retail build-outs for small businesses or executing scopes of work for new construction or structural carpentry projects, this is the culture PAC Leaders maintains and promotes.*

*Along with delivering a quality product to our clients, my goal is to ignite the next generation with a passion for the trades. Following the plan, I added to my credentials in March 2017 by becoming a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certified instructor/performance evaluator/curriculum proctor. I have taught NCCER accredited curricula in the Roseland, Bronzeville, and Altgeld Garden Homes communities. Fueled by my passion for training, the forthcoming PAC Leadership Academy will meet the need for acutely trained tradespeople by focusing on proficiency in the trades while cultivating leadership mentalities in its mentees through a pre-apprenticeship program. As a signatory carpenter contractor, PAC Leaders has sponsored students already into an apprenticeship with the Carpenters Union. By creating an environment where students take pride in their education and the quality of their output, the Academy will become an incubator for future leaders in the skilled trades.*

*The third entity of the PAC Leaders brand, PAC Leaders Development Group, will spearhead PAC’s mission for community reinvestment. Positioned for real estate acquisition and new construction projects, the Development Group will focus its resources in disadvantaged areas and opportunity zones in Chicago. PAC Leaders (general contracting) and PAC Leaders Development Group will partner to tackle two major issues in Chicago’s inner-city neighborhoods: the need for community development and employment. By training and employing residents from these neighborhoods, PAC will involve them in direct efforts to improve their communities.*

*Years of experience, lessons learned, and growth have brought the PAC Leaders brand to this point. Vision, planning, and intentional action will take them into a prosperous future. With Chicago as the backdrop, PAC is on its journey as a pioneer in a new class of prime contractors–a journey mapped out to lead PAC to success; one concerned with the prosperity of its students, subcontractors, and clients, and the further beautification of the cityscape. As we were blessed to work with Magellan Development, at the W Nashville, in the respected “Gulch”, we are poised to spread this culture nationally."*

<a href="https://youtu.be/x5f8HLllOAw" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://youtu.be/x5f8HLllOAw</a>

__I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?__

*"It has not been an easy road. We are scaling, so access to capital will always be top of mind. Next would be skilled and self-motivated labor, which is one of the reasons we became a signatory company. We hired our first w2 employees, in the heart of the pandemic last year, since our projects were deemed “essential”. One notable project/challenge was a Medical Center that we renovated, while the parking lot became a Covid-19, testing site. Right now, I believe aligning ourselves with sustainable projects and partnerships has become the newest challenge. We are prepared to travel, obviously how we ended up in Nashville."*

__Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?__

*"As a company, we offer skilled labor and decades of experience to push projects forward and help stimulate our local economy. I have loved carpentry and construction for as long as I can remember. As an employer, we offer income and inspiration. I am a Certified Craft Instructor and have a passion for training. As such, I co-train a pre-apprenticeship program where we give individuals a solid foundation and prime them for entry into the unionized apprenticeship program.*

*We will be preferred choice amongst construction clients and an incubator for competent tradespeople and future entrepreneurs in the trades.*

*We are focused on shifting the culture of construction in Chicago, especially as it relates to minority-owned construction firms. The classification of Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) is a “golden ticket” that many larger companies will use by partnering with MBE companies in order to win bids that require minority participation. In these instances, it is evident that the impetus for these collaborations is execution of a contract, not elevation of the community.*

*Now, this isn’t to say that our competitors do not care about the community, but the chatter within the community regarding our respective companies is much different.*

*People understand that we are growing in business, investing in the people, and promoting an interbusiness ecosystem centered around a culture of “learn, learn-to-teach, teach-to-teach”. We are a for-profit business, but our focus is the education, employment, and elevation of our community. We want to physically build the buildings in our neighborhoods while psychologically and financially building the members of those neighborhoods."*

*PAC Leaders helped rebuild one of Chicago’s last independently-owned newsstands after it was struck by a drunk driver."*

[https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/contractors-pitch-in-to-rebuild-chicago-newsstand-demolished-by-car/2392753/](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/contractors-pitch-in-to-rebuild-chicago-newsstand-demolished-by-car/2392753/)

*"NBC did an evening news story to highlight our efforts to train/employ people from the community."*

<a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/carpentry-mentorship-program-reaches-more-chicago-areas/2455167/" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/carpentry-mentorship-program-reaches-more-chicago-areas/2455167/</a>

__Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?__

*"I love entrepreneurship and the role it plays in building families, communities, and economies. It is such an honor and a pleasure to build and improve the spaces where these visionaries carry out their business. The clients who we connect with–and, subsequently, sign contracts with–seem to share our love for community-building. Our marketing efforts are focused on putting our love for our communities front and center. And our ideal clients are community builders with the same values."*


Meet Melvin Henley of PAC Leaders

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