HIBBING — "I wanted to be like my grandfather,” Angela Heikkila said on the KAXE Morning Show. “I wanted what he had.” And as it turned out, that it is exactly what she did.
For 24 years, Heikkila was an electrician by trade. She now works at Minnesota North College in Hibbing to empower more women to work in the trades.
Heikkila often found herself the only woman on a job site, but she was more than qualified, with a two-year electrical degree, a four-year apprenticeship through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and a family and high school background in shop and welding.
Now she’s using her experience to guide the next generation of women in the trades. As the technical education career coordinator at Minnesota North College - Hibbing, she leads the Empower program, which connects female students to careers in engineering, construction, mining and other skilled trades. She knows firsthand how daunting it can be for young women to enter these fields, and she’s determined to change that.
Since its launch in 2017, Empower has grown significantly, expanding to all six Minnesota North College campuses and increasing student participation from 64 to 115 since the college merger in 2022. The program offers mentorship, hands-on experience and networking opportunities with industry professionals, helping young women realize careers in the trades are not just possible, but promising for growth and success.
Upcoming events for female high school students at Minnesota North's Hibbing and Vermilion campuses feature female professionals from law enforcement, mining, construction and other fields, sharing their stories and career paths. Students will tour campus programs, meet industry representatives and leave with connections that can help them take their first steps into a trade career.
Through Empower, Heikkila is helping young women break into careers they may have never considered, just like she did all those years ago when she decided to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps.
Who inspired you in your career? Let us know!
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