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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It goes without saying that the environment influences your life decisions, and for Cathleyn DaRosa, she was inspired by her family’s passion for the trades and built her career around it.

DaRosa’s stepfather had a successful 40-year career in carpentry, which set an example of grit and determination. For DaRosa, working with her hands is her “happy place.” 

Even with family knowledge in her back pocket, DaRosa knew the value of completing her education to get her Journeyperson Electrician License, and she found that in the Electrical Apprenticeship Program at �Ӱ���Ƶ University Extension School (RWU EXT). She was drawn to RWU EXT’s (NCCER) accredited program because it emphasized the in-person curriculum that continuously tested her knowledge.

“I’m very hands-on,” DaRosa said. “By taking regular tests and having check-up questions in the coursework, you retain information. I need repetition to learn, and a lot of other schools don’t have that accountability. Once you know it, you can never lose that, and it’s second nature at this point.” 

DaRosa found the flexibility of the program and its embedded apprenticeship the perfect combination for balancing her work and personal life with her educational goals. In the first year of her program, she got married and began working full-time for Izzo Electric Company as an electrical apprentice. She learned basic skills on the job while simultaneously taking courses to reinforce her studies. 

During her courses, she immersed herself in the subject, thanks to the example set by her instructors. She praised instructors Richard Besser, David Payne, and Kai Warneke for their vast knowledge.

“They know their stuff,” DaRosa said. “I like the passion Rick has for the subject. After two years of his teachings, I was amazed by his wealth of knowledge.”

DaRosa highlighted how beneficial it was for the program to complement her real-world experience that ran parallel to her course work. Many of her on-the-job hours qualified toward the required 576 hours of related training instruction. In the four-year program, RWU EXT imparts 150 hours of related instruction for a total of 600 hours at the end of the program. And, these hours count toward the required minimum 8,000 hours for a Journeyperson’s Certificate B, which will allow DaRosa to become a certified electrician.

At RWU’s Commencement ceremony this May, DaRosa will celebrate her educational accomplishments by receiving certification from RWU EXT’s Electrical Apprenticeship Program as well as the RWU Core Values Medallion for outstanding academic achievement, helping to add more highly skilled trades workers to the industry.

According to a  from the U.S. Office of Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA), women contribute to just over 14 percent of the construction workforce. Initiatives like the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Million Women in Construction Community Pledge, endorsed by former R.I. governor and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, hopes to increase those numbers in the years to come.

DaRosa sees gaps in the trades and encourages anyone to learn the industry at any time in their lives. Her father-in-law went back to trade school at the age of 35, and since attending RWU EXT, she’s broached the subject with her younger cousins in high school to show them it’s possible for anyone.

“There aren’t a lot of women in the trade, and there needs to be more,” DaRosa said. “We have different ideas and mindset that are valuable to the industry.”

She’s already excited for the next stage in her career: working toward her master’s test. Once she gets her license, she plans on engaging in side projects to master the trade while pursuing a Class A license for contractor work to open up more avenues for work.