Heather Norrell was employed at Tyson Foods in Perry, Iowa in the general maintenance department where she worked on many of the machines throughout the organization. “All my previous jobs before this were in fast food or in gas stations, so this was a big change for me,” she says. Unfortunately, after two years, all employees at this location were laid off. To help support the employees during the transition, Tyson partnered with the local workforce organization including National Able Network, to provide job search support and training opportunities.
Within 2 weeks, Heather was connected to a career coach and received access to courses providing overviews on different career options. During this time, Heather also received help revising her resume, which was one of her main concerns as she re-entered the job market. Although not an industry she would’ve originally pursued, she decided to challenge herself and step outside her comfort zone by beginning a career in the trades industry. Heather received OSHA training (at no cost!) and earned her OSHA certification. “They gave us a bunch of tools to help us. The trades class gave us tool pouches and the basics, a hard hat, safety net, measuring tape, gloves…all nice stuff too!,” says Heather.
As a career changer and a woman entering a male-dominated field, Heather and her career coach looked at apprenticeship readiness opportunities to best support her in this new endeavor. Heather applied for and was accepted into an apprenticeship program with M.A. Mortenson Company, a nationally recognized construction and real estate development organization. When telling her career coach that she had been accepted, Heather says, “Holly was awesome….she jumped up and down and was clapping and gave me a hug…it was a big surprise. She always asked if I needed anything else and reminded me of the services available to me. She’s so good at her job!”
Heather maintained employment at M.A. Mortenson and is very happy about her experience with National Able Network. She says, “It has put me on a career for life. If I stay on this path, I’m set…I’m happy and I actually want to wake up for work in the morning.” When asked to provide advice for other job seekers, especially women interested in trades, she says, “Open up out of your comfort zone and try something new. I had never tried this before and now I’m happy!”
