New career built on old plans
Jenelle Grau, who previously worked at Semitool for seven years, has since earned a degree at Crevier's School of Cosmetology. She is now an instructor at the school.
It took losing a job for Jenelle Grau to wind her way back to an earlier career plan.
Grau, 37, has been working as an instructor at Crevier’s Academy of Cosmetology Arts in Kalispell for about eight months. She enrolled at Crevier’s in April 2009 to study cosmetology and finished her training 11 months later. “I was determined to finish early,” she said. Typically, the program takes 14 months to complete.
As Grau was nearing the end of her training and education, academy owner Marty Crevier approached her about taking additional training to become an instructor and working at his school. Grau took him up on the offer, wrapped up two sets of instruction and went to work.
Several displaced workers chose to enroll at Crevier’s Academy of Cosmetology Arts after losing “great jobs” in the last few years, Crevier said.
“They came in with a positive, serious attitude,” he said. “They’re adamant about getting into a different career.” Many of those second-career students had thought about attending beauty school years before but ended up choosing other career paths, he said.
“Cosmetology is a pretty solid career,” he said. “It hasn’t been hit as hard as some industries.”
Grau came to the academy with “wonderful people skills,” Crevier said. “She was great with students” and had an “air of authority about her,” which he thought would translate well to teaching.
Grau lost her job in the purchasing department at Semitool on Jan. 8, 2009, after working there for 7 1/2 years.
“It was a great company to work for,” she said. “Semitool explained it was hard for them to do,” she said of the company’s layoffs.
After losing her job, she told her husband she wanted to pursue that long-stalled cosmetology career.
“He’s been very supportive,” she said.
Grau talked with Job Service personnel and learned she qualified for Trade Adjustment Assistance funds for retraining for another job.
A requirement to get money through the TAA program was proving she could get a job in cosmetology after finishing school. After meeting that requirement, she researched three cosmetology schools and conducted additional research about salaries earned in the industry.
While TAA funding requires jumping through some hoops, Grau found it beneficial to research career options. “It made me realize how important this all was,” she said.
All of Grau’s education and training costs were paid by TAA.
As an educator and employer, Crevier has found the Trade Adjustment Assistance program “a piece of cake.”
He works with personnel from the Flathead Job Service office regularly as students who have qualified for the program enroll in the academy.
“I always wanted to be a cosmetologist, but I did everything else first,” Grau said.
“I’m on a smooth patch of road now,” she said. “It feels great to be doing something I love doing.
Her advice to other displaced workers?
“Try to keep positive as much as possible. There are alternatives out there,” Grau said. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.