Joanna Jardin initially chose a traditional path before establishing her career in the trades. She’d enrolled in college, then explored various odd jobs before she landed on pile driving, which gave her the opportunity to weld—something she’d enjoyed doing since high school.
After joining the Union she had the opportunity to build bridges and docks across the state of Alaska from the Northern Slope to the Aleutian Islands. She recalls her time in the field fondly, and especially loved working at the Dutch Harbor project. She has since transitioned to a desk job, but not without straying from her field of expertise. She’s now a case manager and coordinator for women in the trades with the nonprofit organization Alaska Works. She is passionate about connecting women with apprenticeship opportunities and grateful that she gets to build a support network for women beginning their trade careers.