Trane Trade Warriors™ Graduate Celebrates International Women’s Day in Style
Trane Trade Warriors™ Provides Career Ammunition
Zhandell “Monae” Strozier enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 2018, serving for four years in Tacoma, Washington, and more recently at Fort Cavazos in Texas. As an ammunition specialist—known as an 89 Bravo in military terms—Strozier was in charge of handling hazardous materials such as ammunition and explosives for her unit. “A lot of the job is about taking inventory and doing customer relations, talking to people so I know what they need or don’t need to get checked out,” she says.
With her expiration term of service set for May, Strozier met with the Trade Warriors recruiter on base. “It sounded like HVAC was a combination of talking to people and doing work that requires some thought, troubleshooting, and a bit of perfectionism,” Monae says. “I like working with my hands and it seemed like a good trade to get into.”
It's fitting that Strozier—the only woman in her Trade Warriors class—graduated on March 8, International Women’s Day. While many of the men in her class were more familiar with the tools than she was, the instructor always made her feel comfortable. “He’d say, if you don’t know something, that’s why I’m here to teach you,” she says. “And they really recognized that everyone learns in different ways and would take the time to give individual attention.”
Making her transition to civilian life even smoother, Strozier was hired as a service tech by Anchor Heating & Air, a Trane Comfort Specialist dealer in Douglasville, Georgia—not far from her hometown of Atlanta—prior to graduating from Trade Warriors. “I was nervous, but the recruiter helped me do a practice interview,” she says. “I did the interview on a Friday, and I had my offer letter by Monday, which was cool.”
For her fellow service members considering HVAC as a career, Strozier notes that it’s important to consider the big picture. “If you can see yourself talking to people and getting down and dirty to service units, it could be a good match,” she says. “But the main thing, for people who want to get into the class, don’t be afraid to ask questions!”
About Trade Warriors. Trade Warriors is an 8-week program that provides more than 250 hours of hands-on HVAC training for active-duty service members who are within 6 months of separation from the services, or current veterans, with the goal of employment as an HVAC service tech or service installer at a Trane dealer. The program aims to facilitate new career options for military veterans while bolstering the ranks of qualified HVAC technicians in the industry.
Trane is proudly sponsoring the 2024 ServiceTitan National HVAC Championship to highlight and recognize the trade industry and contributions all HVAC technicians make. Through our partnership, we inspire future technicians and empower current technicians to remain unstoppable.
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