Stephanie Spear 
Here at the Fairfax Girl, we get invited to a bunch of things like restaurant openings, author readings, and community events. But we’ve never been invited to take a class called Intro to Power Tools. When Nicole Jenkins from Fairfax’s Tradeworx Academy reached out to see if we’d be interested, the answer was an immediate yes. TFG Editor Stephanie donned her safety glasses and earplugs for a morning at Tradeworx Academy to learn all about power tools. Read on for more about our experience at Tradeworx Academy in Fairfax.
The Backstory
Nicole and Richard Jenkins are the co-owners of The Grount Genie, a tile restoration, repair, and installation company based in Fairfax. Richard is a licensed tile contractor with a Specialty Designation in Tile, Marble, Ceramic, and Terrazzo (TMC). Before entering the trades, Richard served in the U.S. Navy as an Operations Specialist.
Nicole and Richard founded Tradeworx Academy in July 2025 to increase consumer awareness and empower residents to manage home repairs effectively. Based on their experience as contractors, they wanted to create a space where homeowners could learn which projects they can realistically handle themselves and when it is necessary to call in a professional to avoid costly or stressful mistakes.
Richard + Nicole Jenkins
The academy directly addresses the limitations of relying on edited YouTube tutorials for home improvement. While videos provide some guidance, they often overlook the complexities of actual repairs and fail to provide the hands-on experience needed to master tools and techniques that are essential for beginners to succeed in DIY projects.
Beyond educating homeowners, Tradeworx aims to address the looming skilled labor shortage as experienced professionals retire. By promoting skilled trades to teens and adults, the academy hopes to encourage new workers to enter the industry while ensuring homeowners are equipped with basic maintenance skills, a necessity as professional availability continues to decline and wait times increase.
Class setup
Tradeworx Academy provides supervised, hands-on workshops that allow students to practice with tools and materials in a controlled environment, addressing common fears about expensive or powerful equipment. Popular offerings like the Intro to Power Tools, Electrical Basics, and Tile + Grout Basics courses cater to diverse goals, ranging from DIY renovation projects to simply gaining a better understanding of professional trade work.
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To ensure quality instruction, the academy requires all trainers to possess at least a decade of experience in their respective trades. Instructors provide students with candid feedback, helping them accurately assess their own capabilities for DIY projects and teaching them how to recognize quality workmanship, which improves their ability to communicate effectively with professional contractors.
The Experience
I have not taken shop class, and aside from assembling some flat-pack furniture in my early 20s, I don’t have much experience with tools. And while I don’t have any big home improvement plans in my future, it was worth taking the class, if only for the plot.
Richard taught the class, and his co-instructor was Judson Stiles, a master carpenter who specializes in high-end finish carpentry and custom cabinetry. Between Richard and Judson, there were decades of knowledge to be shared.
Richard walking the class through the different tools
The Tradeworx space is enormous: it’s well-lit, clean, and spacious, and the team is genuinely excited to teach. The first section of the space is set up like a classroom, with a kitchenette stocked with complimentary snacks and drinks for students. Two-thirds of the space is set up in workstations where students can work on different skills. There were drywall and electrical stations set up, and work tables for other tasks. Its location in the Fair Oaks Mall means there’s plenty of free parking.
The class began with each student getting a booklet about the power tools we would learn about, a pen to take notes, safety glasses, and a mask. Each student had their own set of tools to look at as Richard explained how each one worked and what its purpose was. We learned about a drill, a circular saw, a jigsaw, a miter saw, a reciprocating saw, a multi tool, and a brad nailer. We were encouraged to pick up each tool and practice handling it. After a short break, we set off to the ‘shop’ section of the space.
Richard helping me measure on an angle.
Under the guidance of Richard, Judson, and studio assistant Hans, we used each of the tools ‘for real’. We had a project that incorporated using all of the tools, which was making a wooden frame for a drywall box that we would attach wood edging to.
It doesn’t sound terribly complicated, but with 12 people using power tools in an enclosed space, it got hot, loud, and dusty quickly. Richard, Judson, and Hans circulated throughout the class, making sure everyone was safe and answering any questions. We also used a table-mounted circular saw to cut at an angle.
By the end of the day, I was ready to drive directly to Lowe’s to get my own set of power tools. Logic won out, as I don’t *need* my own set of power tools. However, should the occasion arise, I will be more prepared than I was before the class. At minimum, I felt confident safely handling the tools. It was a solid foundation for anything else I’d want to do, like take another class or experiment at home.
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Nicole and Richard said that they have many returning students and the academy has started to create a community. Students return for multiple classes, recognize one another, and form friendships through the workshops. “It really has become a community here,” Nicole said. “People form friendships. There are a lot of repeat students that come back, and so they’re all getting to know each other.”
The finished product. It’s not much to look at, but I completed all the tasks, safely.
The academy is also developing a DIY club where participants can share completed projects, ask questions, and potentially connect with other members who can help with future work.
For more about Tradeworx Academy, visit its website.
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