Jelissa De Torres

Carpenter Apprentice // Custom Woodwork & Design

Hello! My name is Jelissa (she/her) and I'm a carpentry apprentice, welder, entrepreneur, and advocate for diversity in the trades.

When I'm not at work or engaging in community advocacy, I run a business designing and building a variety of custom wood pieces and displays for local event planners, decorators and businesses.

I'm a regional trades representative, often doing advocacy work for the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, and a board member for the non-profit's Build a Dream and The BC Tradeswomen Society. I've appeared in a variety of publications and been a speaker at a number of trades events.

Through these platforms and engaging in the tradeswomen community on Instagram, I've been able to share my experience of being a woman in the trades and have been able to connect with tradeswomen from all over the world.

Ive recently launched an initiative that hosts summer camps and workshops that introduces youth and under-represented folks to the skilled trades. I believe that by providing them with the opportunity to practice mechanical skills and get familiar with hand and power tools, we can empower them to explore careers and skills that they may otherwise not consider.

A career in the trades is rewarding in so many ways! There are so many folks out there that would absolutely excel in the trades but never give it a chance. My hope is that through this initiative, I can help break the stigma against the skilled trades, and make it a more accessible and desirable career to pursue!

Check out www.toolstoempower.ca ♡

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