CLARKSVILLE, TN − When you think of someone managing the maintenance of a major manufacturing plant, you typically would not envision a woman, but Ashlie Sayles is looking to break those stereotypes and make a name for herself in a career field where few women have left their mark.
Sayles earned herself a spot in Trane Technologies Craftsman in Training (CIT) program, allowing her to enroll in special industry classes taught at TCAT Dickson’s Clarksville Campus. Craftsman In Training is Trane Technologies’ version of an apprenticeship. Currently 15 Trane Technologies employees are enrolled in the program, but Sayles is the first woman to be considered for CIT from the Clarksville plant. In fact, she is the first woman to successfully land a maintenance position at the local facility and the second world-wide for the company that has been building equipment to heat and cool residential homes and commercial businesses for more than 100 years.
“I love troubleshooting and working on things. I have met a lot of people who didn’t have the resources or skills to troubleshoot or solve problems. Those values were instilled in me at a very young age,” Sayles explained adding her dad, who has spent the last 20 years of his career as a maintenance technician, had always encouraged her to find answers to questions and solve problems. “I started out working on my own car. I figured things out watching YouTube videos,” she said.
A resident of Montgomery County for more than 27 years and an alum of Kenwood Middle and High Schools, Sayles also holds a degree in criminal justice with a minor in accounting from Nashville State Community College. Sayles held jobs in food service and at Best Buy before seeking employment with Trane Technologies seven years ago. It was her love of math and passion for problem solving that led her to apply for the maintenance role she was promoted to just three months ago after scoring well on a Trane Technologies aptitude exam that opened doors for her.
Trane’s CIT program focuses on three areas including Electrical, Mechanical, and Tool and Die. In Electrical, employees spend 492 hours at TCAT learning various skills and 7,500 hours at Trane completing on-the-job training and an extra 3,750 hours to earn a Multi-Craft designation. The Mechanical program calls for 480 hours of training at TCAT and 7,500 hours at Trane with an additional 3,750 hours at Trane for Mult-Craft designation. Tool and Die is 800 hours at TCAT and 7,800 hours at Trane. Sayles’ plan is to complete the Mechanical portion of the CIT program and then go through the Electrical portion where she can be a Multi-Craft Maintenance Technician.
TCAT offers specialized training courses for local industries and can build a unique program focused on an apprenticeship or a short program to upskill a few employees to address a need from a specific type of welding to a computer course. For more information on TCAT Dickson’s workforce development opportunities, interested parties can contact Warren Thompson at the Clarksville Campus at 931-999-7318.