by Jean Sealey
Northeast Florida Builders Association
Aquanetta Tyler is not your typical apprentice graduate.
Being female in a male-dominated construction trade makes her anything but typical. She was the only female in the 2005 Northeast Florida Builders Association Apprentice Program graduating class. And being a single parent raising three daughters is a bit unusual for apprentice students in the NEFBA program.
But Tyler shares one characteristic with other successful apprentice graduates. She wanted to make a better life for herself and her family and she was willing to work hard to achieve that goal.
A graduate of the electrical program, Tyler admits there were times along the way she wanted to quit.
“I’m thankful now for the people who encouraged me not to give up,” she said. “Through the hard times, it was prayer and help from people in the apprentice program and my church, The Potter’s House, that kept me going.”
Tyler, now 32, moved to Jacksonville from Norfolk in 2001. With three daughters to support, Tyler came to Jacksonville with $150 she had earned in a pre-apprentice program sponsored by the Tidewater Builders Association. She and her daughters moved in with a sister.
“My sister’s husband was stationed here, and when I first came here, I worked part time in a day care facility,” Tyler said. “Then I went to work for Jack Crews at Crews Electric. He gave me a chance and helped me get in the NEFBA Apprentice Program.”
Throughout most of her training, Tyler has been sponsored by D&W Electric Company, where she currently works.
“I’ve learned so much working for Danny Carter,” Tyler said. “I wanted to learn, and Danny Carter has taught me so much. My supervisor and my co-workers have taught me a lot, too. And, my instructor John Flynn was just great. I learned so much from him.”
Tyler said she’s been treated fairly by others in the trades. She doesn’t believe most people treated her differently because she’s female or a minority, although there have been times when she thought she had to work just a little harder to prove herself.
Tyler had her share of obstacles during her four years in the program. The demand on her time raising three children was perhaps the most difficult challenge for her.
Tyler struggled financially at first, too. She was thankful for the regular raises she received while an apprentice that eventually helped her get on firmer standing. Now she is looking into buying a home for herself and her daughters, Emone, 10, Monique, 7, and Tatiana, 6.
She’s studying to take the journeyman’s exam, and is looking forward to the added security and financial benefits of being on the journeyman’s pay scale.
Tyler credits prayer and determination, along with a lot of help from others along the way, with her success in the program. She believes other women should consider the construction trades as a way to realize their dreams.
“Construction trades pay a lot better than the other jobs I could have had,” she said. “And there’s a lot of opportunity for advancement. Even during training, you get a raise every six months. There’s a lot of security in that. Now that I’ve graduated and don’t have to be studying every evening, I have more time to spend with my girls and things are much better.”
Apprentice training has been a major focus of the Northeast Florida Builders Association for 32 years. As of the May 2005 graduation, 1,356 apprentices will have been trained in NEFBA’s four-year programs in carpentry, electrical, plumbing and heating and air-conditioning.