PHOTO: Bosch associates met with high school students in Manchester, NH in May to talk about the benefits of a career in HVAC. The career fair was organized by two students at Girls At Work, Inc., a non-profit supported by the Bosch Community Fund.
Bosch Empowers Today’s Girls to Become Tomorrow’s Leaders
Building Career Paths for Women
After feeling excluded at a construction career fair, two sixteen-year-old high school students from New Hampshire took it upon themselves to organize their own. Samantha Grenier and Kaylee Richard worked with the local superintendent's office to develop an application, invited dozens of local businesses (including Bosch), arranged the catering, and stressed that every participating business must have some women representatives at their tables.
“We want to give girls a safe space to explore career options and for them to see that it is very possible for them to be in that field by seeing other women in that position. The girls are so engaged because they know that these businesses are here for them. They all feel wanted. Everything is super empowering here and that makes them feel comfortable,” said Kaylee Richard.
Richard and Grenier are graduates and now instructors of Girls At Work, Inc., a Manchester, NH-based non-profit supported by the Bosch Community Fund. Girls At Work teaches elementary and middle school aged female students from at-risk populations how to use power tools to build picnic tables, benches, bookcases, and other construction projects. By allowing girls space to problem-solve and build things with their own hands, the program aims to build their self-confidence, strength, and resilience.
Bosch and Girls At Work
Bosch awarded Girls At Work a $10k grant in 2023 through the Bosch Community Fund. Since 2017, the Fund has invested $78K in the program and has donated in kind with Bosch power tools for the students to use in their projects, as well as a Bosch fridge, microwave, and water source heat pump for the non-profit’s facility.
Bosch associates also volunteer at Girls At Work events, most recently at the career fair that Grenier and Richard organized. At the Bosch booth, students took part in a demonstration with minimal instruction from the representatives: how to transfer cold water from a bucket on the ground through a water heater and get the water to come out hot in the sink. Bosch was one of 22 businesses that participated in the career fair, speaking to 200 female high school students about the benefits of a career in HVAC.
"Bosch is looking to the future, recognizing that women are an important part of what we need to have in the workforce. It is crucial that girls know there is a place for them in our trade. Having these experiences, where we show girls what a career in HVAC can look like, will hopefully open them up to a new world of opportunities," said Heather Anderson, director of aftermarket and sales operations at Bosch Home Comfort.
Anderson is also a board member for Girls At Work and relates personally to the cause. As a child, Anderson grew up unafraid of technical tools, as she often assisted her parents with construction projects around the house. Her mom taught her how to use a skill saw at the age of seven. Once, Anderson helped her dad, who did his own plumbing and electrical work, put together PVC pipes and build the plumbing infrastructure for her nana’s in-law house. Anderson credits these experiences for shaping her confidence and leadership abilities as an adult.
“Growing up, my mom always used to give me power tools and we would build things. When I was eleven, I built a mouse cage for a science fair project. My mom taught me how to do it and so I was able to use the skill saw and a nail gun and an automatic stapler and all these tools to be able to put together a cage at home. All this contributed to my self-confidence as a person and as a leader. To see what this can do for others—to help create that self-reliance in young girls—that means the world to me.”
Training the Next Generation of Leaders
The next step for Girls At Work is to collaborate with businesses on workforce development programs, according to founder and director Elaine Hamel.
“Eventually, I would like to offer a training program just for high school girls with introductory classes in plumbing, welding, electrical, you name it. As one of the requirements, participating businesses would have to be a sponsor and as a sponsor partner, they would be required to hire groups of young women--not just individuals. That is what will change the culture in STEM and that is what will bring more women into the field,” said Hamel.
About the Bosch Community Fund
The Bosch Community Fund is the corporate foundation for Bosch in North America. Established in 2011, the Fund supports local investment, local impact, and local stewardship. By awarding over $41 million in grants to various 501(c)(3) organizations and educational institutions in 38 Bosch site locations, the Fund promotes the enrichment of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, the advancement of environmental sustainability initiatives and eco+STEM, a cross-section of the two.