After 20 years of working in corporate settings, West Palm Beach resident, Lety S., dramatically shifted the course of her career and life by joining Boca Helping Hands no cost Carpentry job training program. She has finally been able to pursue her true passion. Boca Helping Hands provides free job training in several different fields including home healthcare aide, certified nursing assistant, customer sales representative, medical billing and coding, commercial driver’s license, carpentry, HVAC, electrical apprenticeship, plumbing apprenticeship, drafting, HVAC apprenticeship and carpentry.
Right now, Lety is in the job training program, but takes commissions. Here’s her story:
Here’s Lety’s social media: @JoyGroves MiniShop
Changing career fields can be challenging, but Lety S. is a shining example of how this can work out for the better. Lety fell in love with woodworking in a middle school class, but unfortunately, woodshop courses were not available in her high school. With carpentry no longer accessible, she figured pursuing it was a lost cause. After graduation, she made her way working whatever jobs she could get.
20 years and a full life reset later, Lety took a position at a family-owned woodshop as a painter, and her love of woodworking was renewed. Eventually, the business moved to North Florida, and while the job was a significantly better fit for Lety’s goals, it brought a major pay cut. Being a single mother of three, relocating for this job was not a possibility for Lety and her family. It was back to the drawing board.
Fortunately, Lety came across one of Boca Helping Hands advertisements, promoting a free Carpentry program. She knew completing this program would allow her to both follow her passion and provide a secure financial future for her and her family. Shortly after, she began the Carpentry program offered through Boca Helping Hands in a partnership with Atlantic Technical College.
Lety has fully embraced her program, and the new path it’s leading her on. A proud life-long learner, she boldly pushes forward in asking questions, trying new things, and learning her style and improving techniques with woodworking. “I’m slowly turning my one-car garage into a woodshop,” she said.
After finishing the program in August, Lety hopes to work in framing – designing and constructing the very foundations of walls and roofs for homes and buildings. She also wants to refurbish furniture in her ever-growing workshop to save it from the landfill and give it new life. Her ultimate dream is to recover and redress historical structures, which she described as an excellent way to put her skills and knowledge to the test as she continues to learn. “As a mother, I am a teacher. I have to always remain a student of my craft,” she said. “I am truly appreciative and thankful to be able to provide for myself and my family, as well as for the hands-on learning and knowledge I have gained.”
When asked about being a woman in a male-dominated field, Lety is not phased. “I don’t believe in gender roles in jobs – it needs balance. Women bring a unique perspective to any field,” she explained. She is one of three women in her class of 12, and she hopes to be an example to encourage other women to join the carpentry field. She exudes warmth, creativity, and an overall outstanding attitude towards change, growth, and learning. Lety is proof that it is never too late to follow your dreams, and that you never know where or when inspiration will strike -, and the wildly wonderful journey it may lead you on.
