SACRAMENTO, CA – Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air (Bonney), a home services company headquartered in Rancho Cordova, CA, is celebrating its female employees and breaking down misconceptions about women in the trades. From executive positions to technicians and trainers, Bonney’s team is diverse and supportive for tradespeople of all genders.
History in the Making
Though careers in the industry are still often considered “for men,” women have a long history in the trades dating back centuries, but coming into prominence in the modern era in World War I. When men went off to war, women produced heavy machinery, entered the electrical field and took jobs in welding, riveting and assembling and connecting motors.
From its very beginning, Bonney was established by Mark and Candace Bonney. Candace played a pivotal role in creating the foundation for the company’s culture. Today, 19-percent of the Bonney team are women, including the vice president of marketing and director of human resources. By comparison, nationally only 3- to 4-percent of the building trades workforce is women.
Training for Success
“We support all of our employees regardless of gender and we strive to create an environment that is not only welcoming to women but sets them up for success,” said Jeremy Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer of Bonney. “Through both our training programs and our diverse management team, Bonney provides resources to help position our employees for growth. Our focus on training and career development sets our employees up for success in their career and builds an incredible team to serve our customers. ”
One of those resources is BonneyU, a program the company launched last year to prepare employees for success in the industry. BonneyU trains the next generation of technicians and provides the opportunity to be hired after completion of the program. BonneyU’s 10-week training program gives students more than 400 hours of hands-on experience.
Challenge and Opportunity
Today’s tradeswomen are helping redefine what a viable career looks like for a woman in 2022, though there still are challenges.
“Once I went to a call and a male customer asked me if I was selling cookies,” said Moana Schietinger, Bonney’s HVAC Sales Manager. “No, I’m here to check your HVAC system, tell you how to fix it and how much it will cost. As a female, you have to stand strong in what you know. Female techs aren’t the norm, but we’re going to change the world.”
“As a minority and a female, there are a lot of boundaries that people will set for you and sometimes we don’t get the credit we deserve.” said Sequoia Dunkinsell, an electrical trainee. “Women can do hard tasks, can keep up with the guys and still be feminine. We can do anything. I’m living proof.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that from 2020 to 2022 the demand for electricians will grow 9-percent and 5-percent for plumbers and HVAC technicians. For more information about job opportunities with Bonney, visit www.Bonney.com.
About Bonney
Bonney is a leading plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioning company based in Sacramento servicing customers across Solano, Yolo, El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer and San Joaquin Counties. Established in 1978, Bonney focuses on creating genuine value for its customers through a unique combination of skilled workmanship, service performance and responsive support.