There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Laetitia Jeurissen, a Maintenance Technician at Schindler France, who works in a field that traditionally has been dominated by men. Laetitia holds many titles, from gifted handywoman to superhero to her ‘team’ of 4 young daughters, showing them that anything is possible when they put their minds to it.
From an early age Laetitia felt that she was different from others in her all-girl class. "Many societies share some ideas around gender roles and how people are expected to act in those roles," she says. She quickly realized she did not fit in this mold.
One of the things Laetitia has always loved doing is working with her hands. "When I was very young, I used to take apart and put back together all of my toys," she says. Perhaps this was influenced indirectly by her father who worked at Peugeot. "When I was little, I wanted to work at a factory, just like my dad.”
This feeling of wanting to work with her hands only continued to grow as Laetitia got older. As a teenager, she enrolled in an electrical engineering training program. A few years later, she heard that one of her former classmates was working for Schindler France. That piqued her interest. Shortly after, Laetitia joined Schindler France as a Maintenance Technician.
As a technician, her day often involves traveling to different locations to complete her work. She passes the time between her job sites by listening to rock and metal music. "It’s what keeps me motivated."
Challenges
Like many people, Laetitia found juggling both parenthood and a fulltime career a challenge.
Laetitia, who lives in Dunkirk, would eventually take a two-year break from her role so she could focus on her family, or her "little team" as she calls them. After a few years staying home raising her children, Laetitia was ready to return to work as a Maintenance Technician. "When I was home, I was running around in circles, and I needed to be active," she says.
When Laetitia returned to Schindler, she was surprised that some of her clients recognized her, some even after not seeing her for years. Today, our super mom technician has found a balance that suits her very well, and she is proud to have been able to create her place in the industry where women are still few and far between.
Serving as a role model
Outside of work, Laetitia stays true to her passion of working with her hands. She has started completely renovating her home. She proudly shares that she took on herself many of the remodel work which included plumbing, electricity, and much more.
In a way, her daughters see their mom as a role model, inspiring them to follow their passions and dreams, regardless of the stereotypes and bias which may exist. In fact, her eldest daughter completed an internship with Schindler France and hopes to work one day for Schindler – just like her mom.