This week on The Fabricator Podcast, Jason Becker, host of the Arc Junkies Podcast and owner of Underground Metal Works, shares his journey into welding and how the trade has opened doors he never would have expected, leading him to become an ironworker, educator, podcaster, and business owner.

Becker talks about how he earned his first welding certificates before he even learned how to drive, and how he carried over that trade when he joined the Marine Corps. After leaving the military, he worked as a structural steel ironworker before transitioning into teaching welding at Florida colleges and working for weld.com.

Becker talks about how those opportunities eventually led him to taking over the Arc Junkies Podcast, buying Underground Metal Works, and partnering with American Welding Society (AWS). He discusses the challenges and rewards of teaching welding, the importance of hands-on instruction, and the diverse career opportunities available in the welding industry. He also shares his passion for the podcasting and the opportunity it provides to learn from and connect with experts across the metal fabrication and welding industry.

At the top, a conversation about Becker working on various Florida theme parks lead to a discussion about how Austin Hargett of weld.com took to TikTok to rate welds at a Six Flags.

This episode was recorded on location at the 2024 FMA Annual Meeting in Clearwater, Fla.

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