From TikToks to Toolboxes

Featuring Tradespeople who are Building Skills and Creating Content

How Young Tradespeople Are Using Social Media to Reshape the Perception of Skilled Labor

Scroll through TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts and you’ll see it…short clips of welders laying down a perfect bead, carpenters transforming raw wood into works of art, electricians breaking down complex wiring systems in plain language. What once lived in shop floors, garages, and job sites is now finding a global stage. And at the center of it all? Young tradespeople who are rewriting the story of what it means to work with your hands.

A New Kind of Storytelling

For decades, the skilled trades have carried an image problem. Too often, they’ve been seen as a “last resort” for those who don’t go to college. And social media is breaking down that outdated narrative.

Young welders, machinists, HVAC technicians, and builders are showing the world that their work is not only essential but also creative, technical, and incredibly rewarding. A 60-second format of TikTok or the visual storytelling of Instagram Reels is perfect for showing transformations: raw material to finished product, broken equipment to fully functional, chaos to craftsmanship.

Making the Trades Relatable

One of the biggest wins of tradespeople using social media is relatability. Instead of hearing about “blue-collar work” from a recruiter or school counselor, young people can watch someone their own age talk about what a day in the life is actually like. They see paychecks, real talk about apprenticeship programs, and even the challenges—like long hours or safety concerns. But they also see pride, freedom, and the opportunity to build something tangible.

Building Community and Influence

What’s fascinating is that many of these creators aren’t just posting for fun—they’re building communities. Some are attracting apprenticeships through their content. Others are using their platforms to recruit, mentor, or even launch businesses. In many cases, shop owners and trade schools are paying attention, realizing that influencer-style content is now one of the most powerful recruiting tools available.

Breaking Stereotypes

The image of the trades is also diversifying thanks to social media. More women, people of color, and young professionals are showing up online, proving the industry isn’t as monolithic as it once appeared. This representation matters: when a young woman sees another woman thriving as a welder on TikTok, the career suddenly feels possible for her, too.

Why This Matters

With the skilled labor shortage looming larger every year, the next generation is critical. Social media isn’t just entertainment—it’s turning into a pipeline for talent. When tradespeople share their journeys authentically, they spark curiosity and dismantle stereotypes that have kept people away from the industry.

From TikTok to Toolbox

The trades are entering a renaissance of visibility. Young people are showing that being a machinist, a welder, or an HVAC tech is not a fallback option—it’s a career of innovation, artistry, and pride. And thanks to platforms like TikTok, the toolbox has never looked cooler.

Directly from Tradespeople who are on Social Media:

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of connecting with more people than just on LinkedIn; I've unknowingly been using TikTok and Instagram to meet and learn about other women in the trades. A lot of these people inspired me to start posting so that I could also help the next person find their dream career - which a lot of them do! A lot of them post educational clips of the trades, advice for starting out, tips and tricks, gear recommendations, and more! I reached out to some of these content creators to get a better idea of their social media journeys...here's what they responded...

General Experience - How did you first start using social media or TikTok in relation to your trade? And what motivated you to share your work online?

"I got third-degree burns at work one day around 4 years ago now, and I posted a video on TikTok, and it blew up. I had some work content blow up before, but there were always so many negative comments towards women in male-dominated fields so at the time that I would just delete the videos. But after I got burned and posted that video, I started getting a following that would support me and defend me against trolls, and it motivated me to keep sharing." - Hunter / @/someweldinggirl

"I started posting my work on Instagram using the nickname my dad gave me, "rabbit", to make "@/weldinrabbit". I was motivated to share my work online because I had an abundance of pictures and videos of my work. I'm really proud of what I do, and I enjoy seeing areas where I can improve or areas where I've made progress. If there was something I was welding that I thought was impressive, l'd take a video to look back on it because, like most shop welders, I'm likely to never see that piece again. I also didn't know many tradespeople outside of my job, especially not really any other women. I decided by maybe sharing my work, I'd get to know other blue-collar workers and their trades." - Ashley Staley 

Ashley Staley, @/weldinrabbit

"Social media is the number 1 currency right now, and I wanted to branch out online to gain connections in my industry. I was motivated to post because it was so rare seeing a woman in the trades, especially my trade [ironworking]." - Lizzy / @/theblondewelder

Lizzy, @/theblondewelder

Career Impact - Have you seen any direct impact on your career from being active on social media (e.g., job opportunities, networking, mentorship)? And has social media helped you gain recognition or credibility in your trade?

"Social media has had both positive and negative impacts on my career. I have had job opportunities offered to me, television opportunities, and it has definitely resulted in me being recognized on job sites, which is overall positive. People just need to be aware of the negative impacts that posting can potentially have, because I made it problem free as a content creator until recently. All it takes is one person not liking your content to try to get you fired from your job." - Hunter

Hunter, @someweldinggirl, on Top Welder

"I've been able to make a lot of meaningful connections with other workers and their experiences. I've had a couple of job offers, but I truly I love where I work now because they take such good care of their employees, so I don't plan to leave. I believe social media has helped me gain recognition and credibility in my trade by putting out the work I do out there and even talking about the processes and challenges. I've been fortunate enough to share my story on a couple of podcasts and videos, and I'm very grateful for that." - Ashley Staley 

"Yes. I’ve gotten so many jobs from making friends online. As for helping me gain recognition or credibility...not so much, it’s more frowned upon than anything. I hope in the near future this can change as companies see how beneficial it is to be tapped into social media." - Lizzy

Community and Mentorship - How has connecting with other tradespeople online influenced your learning or growth? And have you found online communities helpful for mentorship or support, especially as a woman in the trades?

"Posting on social media gave me the opportunity to find a group of like-minded women who go through similar experiences as me, which is rare or near impossible to find in real life because women in trades are still so uncommon. I think a lot of women in trades have found support online through various social media apps. Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, just to name a few, all have very large communities of women in male-dominated fields that generally come together and are very supportive of each other and other women." - Hunter

Hunter's Podcast!

"Everyone has their own techniques and tricks, so if there's a more efficient way to work, I try to observe. Even outside of work, it's helped me learn and grow as a person by learning to simply talk and make connections with people, learn their story, and hear them out. Outside of posting, l'm typically quiet on social media. l've been able to come across multiple groups that are helpful in mentorship or support. NAWIC and Bluecollar Baddies (podcast) are great in supporting and representing women in the trades, among a couple other wonderful groups centered around women in the trades. I think creators like @/dr.weldz, Weld.com and Western Welding Academy are great examples of pages that can help welders learn techniques too." - Ashley Staley 

"Connecting online with other tradespeople has taught me a lot, new processes and new ways to market and make connections. However it's important to note that everything online doesn't translate to real life. For me, a group or organization hasn't been as helpful as it could be to others." - Lizzy

Representation and Visibility - How important is it to you to showcase women in trades through social media? And have you noticed that seeing other tradeswomen online has inspired younger generations to enter the trades?

"For a long time, it was one of the most important things for me to showcase women and trades through my social media. As I’m getting older, it is still a priority, but more and more women are creating content about the trades, and it is 100% getting more women and young people in. Women need to keep posting and inspiring young women/young workers. When I first started six years ago, it was relatively easy to get a company to bring you on. Now it is competitive as hell to get into the trade union or not. There definitely is a boom, and I believe that social media has contributed to that heavily." - Hunter

"It's extremely important to me to showcase women in the trades on social media. I feel like there is a lack of women in the trade because of hesitation or fear of joining. I understand that...I'm the only woman in my shop at the moment, but it's important to show that it's absolutely possible to succeed in the trades as a woman. I have seen so much growth in myself and my life - I feel it would be a disadvantage to not share and potentially get more women to take that step and join. Just one post might just be the confirmation they were looking for. Rae Ripple inspired me when my dad first showed me her work. There are so many incredible tradeswomen on social media, with work and a work ethic that is so inspiring. I've received multiple messages asking me for advice on how to weld something, how to get into the trades, or even some mentioning I've inspired them to do so. It's so heartwarming and really makes me so proud of them." - Ashley Staley 

"I never want to glamorize the industry; it’s tough and not for everyone. Sometimes, some women can make the rest of us look bad, and it's important to me that I stay as real as possible by sharing exactly what it's like. I've noticed that there have been a LOT more young girls interested in the trades - I get hundreds of DMs from all ages of women looking for advice to get into the trades, it's incredibly amazing to see." - Lizzy

@/theblondewelder

Challenges and Insights - Have you faced any challenges or backlash for being a tradeswoman online? And what advice would you give to other tradeswomen who are thinking about using social media to advance their careers?

"I have had to take my full name off the Internet for my protection. There definitely are men out there who hate and make it their whole personality to troll and harass women online. So if any women are thinking about using social media to advance their career in the trades, I just recommend trying to keep it as private as possible while still being public, practicing basic internet safety, and understanding and clarifying any regulations or rules your employer may have in the employee handbook regarding posting on social media to protect your career as well." - Hunter

"I have received backlash for being a tradeswoman online. It definitely comes with the territory: mean comments, messages, or even threats. It has also been challenging to post content that correctly follows company policy. Fortunately, I think I've found more support than I have any backlash from my family, friends, other tradesworkers and even my coworkers. The advice I'd give to other tradespeople who are thinking about using social media to advance their careers is to absolutely go for it. Make sure to double-check with your company policy to see what content you can post. Let your work speak for itself, be proud of not only your work but yourself, too.
If you get backlash, do not feed into it, just delete, block, breathe, and move on.
Support other women and lift them up, those friendships really help in every way. I think it's really important to go into starting a work-related social media with the mindset that at the end of the day, it's just for fun." - Ashley Staley 

"Sometimes I get made fun of for it at work pretty bad; they like to call me TikTok, or selfie-girl, a lot of people assume I’m on my phone all day until they actually work with me. My advice is to be careful with it, social media should come second, put your work first, and be smart in your environment, don’t do anything that can be unsafe or get you kicked off jobs." - Lizzy

Introducing the Creators

Hunter, more commonly known as @/someweldinggirl on Instagram and TikTok, boasting a combined 100k followers on both platforms, is a journeyman pipefitter and welder based out of Michigan. She is a bold creator breaking stereotypes and owning her craft, her views are her own, all grit and authenticity. She is also the host of the new podcast Women in Trades: The Four Percent (https://open.spotify.com/show/1d2fbCYlYemXJkxQUq2OSo?si=1d075f806bb74b4e) where she interviews tradeswomen about their stories and advice. She's one of the first tradeswomen I started following and interacting with on tiktok, and I've got to see her grow and inspire more young women to pursue welding.

Hunter also starred in Top Welder hosted by StrataTech Education Group  and Tusla Welding School! It’s essentially their in-house welding competition show, teams composed of welding instructors from their school paired with social media welding influencers (like Hunter/@/someweldinggirl) compete through a series of challenges to win prizes!

Lizzy, also known as @/theblondewelderr on Instagram and Tiktok, with a combined 60k followers on both platforms. She is a (you guessed it) welder/ironworker based out of Canada! She shares her real-world experiences from the jobs she's on to inspire apprentices, women in trades, and welding enthusiasts. Her accounts showcase everything from technique tips to behind-the-scenes glimpses of welding life. On Instagram, she wraps her work in candid, bold messaging - like “your opinions don’t affect my income” - driving home her confidence and independent spirit. Her content often highlights the unique perspectives of women in welding, from camaraderie and humor in the shop to celebrating resilience and sharing practical insights. She also dives into gear reviews like her custom TIG welder from Radical Ops.

Overall, Lizzy's platform amplifies empowerment, authenticity, and the everyday grit of welding, delivered in a confident and unapologetic style. You can connect with her here: Liz Krumin 

Ashley, also known as @/weldinrabbit on social media, is a full-time structural steel welder and content creator based in Tennessee and Virginia. With a growing presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, she shares her experiences and insights from the welding world, aiming to inspire and educate others about the trade. Through her content, Ashley provides a candid look into the daily life of a welder, often blending humor, personal anecdotes, and technical demonstrations.

Her posts range from showcasing welding techniques to reflecting on her journey in the industry, offering a relatable perspective for both aspiring and seasoned welders. In addition to her online presence, Ashley has been featured in discussions with other professionals in the field, such as a live talk with Mike Barnett, where she shared her story and experiences in welding. For those interested in following her journey or learning more about the welding profession, Ashley's content serves as both an informative and entertaining resource.

Closing Thoughts

The next generation of tradespeople isn’t just building pipelines, bridges, and skyscrapers -they’re building narratives, communities, and opportunities through their phones. For too long, the trades have been branded as “dark, dirty, and dangerous.” But every time a welder posts a flawless bead, or a carpenter shares a raw-to-finished masterpiece, those outdated stereotypes start to crumble. Social media has given tradespeople the power to show the world the truth: that their work is essential, creative, technical, and deeply rewarding.

What makes this shift even more powerful is that it’s not just one-way storytelling—it’s interaction. Young people aren’t just watching passively; they’re asking questions, saving posts, and following up on resources. Creators like Hunter (@/someweldinggirl), Lizzy (@/theblondewelderr), and Ashley (@/weldinrabbit) are using their platforms not only to showcase their craft, but also to share apprenticeship advice, gear recommendations, safety tips, and encouragement. Their feeds double as mentorship spaces, where the next generation can see what’s possible and get the practical guidance to get there.

Representation matters here too. When young women see tradeswomen thriving online, the idea of stepping into a shop or onto a job site feels far more attainable. That visibility inspires, educates, and ultimately fuels a pipeline of new talent that the industry urgently needs.

The trades are entering a renaissance of visibility. And thanks to these creators, the toolbox doesn’t just look cooler - it looks accessible, inclusive, and full of opportunity. For the young person scrolling today, that next video might just be the spark that lights their career tomorrow.

Thank you for reading!!

-Nush