By Wendella Davidson

WOMEN, historically, are known to have often pursued work in traditional occupations such as administration, nursing and teaching and these jobs are still the dominant sources of employment for female workers.

Nothing is wrong with being a professional nurse or school teacher, but there has got to be something wrong if, in this day and age, the thinking is that career options for women are limited only to those jobs.

And, while not many women rush to gain employment in the construction industry, several opportunities exist for them to enjoy tremendous success in trades such as plumbing and electrical work.

The latter has for decades been dominated by men and is considered off-limits to women, but not to Carol Johnson, a 63-year-old who loves to challenge men in their own fields.
In fact, she has already proven that she is a force to be reckoned with in the electrical and refrigeration fields.

Seeing Carol on a worksite, one may quickly conclude that she’s probably there to meet someone or to just pass the time away with the workers. However, the notion will soon fade when she picks up a tool and mounts a ladder to begin a task.

The Pepperpot Magazine caught up with this female electrician at a worksite at Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara, and was able to engage in a chat about herself and career.
Carol, a mother of three, is originally from# 28 or Trafalgar Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) and lived in Linden as a young girl, but presently resides at Paradise Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, with her husband, Patrick Johnson, who is also her business partner.

Carol said she was schooled at the St Aidan’s Primary School, Linden, and subsequently, the Latchmansingh Primary in Berbice, before she enrolled as a pioneer in the Guyana National Service (GNS), where she did a six-month stint each at the Papaya and Kimbia Training Centres.

It was while in the GNS, which was tasked with ensuring that its pioneers are taught a lifeskill during their tenures, that Carol was sent on a three-month Auto Electrician Training Course at the Guyana Garage, Urquhart Street & New Market Streets, Georgetown.
Carol went on to the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) where she pursued an adult course in the same discipline and earned a City and Guilds Certificate Part 1 in Electrical Installation, and a Guyana Technical Certificate Part 2. As a result of these qualifications, she gained employment at GuyMine, and worked as an electrician in the plant machine shop. She was later elevated to the position of journeyman, which is just below that of a supervisor.
Unfortunately, her involvement in matters concerning union issues saw her parting company with Guymine.

In 1985, Carol began working as a Senior Electrical Technician with Ballast Nedam, a Dutch construction company, at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, but her being vocal in union issues saw her again being dismissed. She then started her own business–buying and selling– commodities to make ends meet.

It was in 1987 that she linked up with Patrick, a former supervisor with whom she had worked at GuyMine, and who is certified in general electrical works, a/c installation and refrigeration among other things.

The two started doing odd jobs together but subsequently began a serious relationship, got married and the union produced three children.

Carol, who considers herself to have a boyish mentality since growing up, says, “I love to challenge men in their own field. I don’t think there is nothing as ‘a man’s job’ and no job is a challenge. All a woman has to do is put your mind to doing it and you will succeed. Never mind the challenges that will pop up along the way, you have to have a mind that is bigger than the challenges.”

Her advice to the young people is, “Once you stay focused and follow your dreams, you will succeed. Put your mind to a trade, as there is where the money is.”

Mr Johnson, who was also at the worksite, said of his wife, “I have to give a plus to Carol. She is truly an inspiration to me on the job. I am now up in age, so she is the one who goes into the ceiling and climbs all the heights, she hardly needs supervision.

“It is amazing how knowledgeable she is about electrical work and refrigeration and is also good at painting, plastering and plumbing. Most times, it is her ideas that she has put forward that make the job easier to undertake. No joke, she really intimidates the men,” he added.