Skilled trades careers and welding salaries revealed! Host Andrew Brown talks with Western Welding Academy’s Tyler Sasse about apprenticeships, high-pressure pipe welding, and how Gen Z is reshaping the trades industry.

Host Andrew Brown talks with Tyler Sasse, CEO of Western Welding Academy, to uncover the realities of skilled trades careers today. From welding jobs salary myths to the truth about welding apprenticeship programs and why high-pressure pipe welding remains one of the most lucrative specialties, they dig into how young Tradespeople can build rewarding Trades Careers in construction, HVAC, Electricians, Plumbers, Millwrights, and more.

They also discuss the role of Craftsmanship, Problem-solving, and Creativity in the Trades Industry, plus the impact of advocacy groups advocacy efforts like the Skilled Trades Advisory Council and industry partners (like Toolfetch) that support gear, learning, and growth.

Timestamps

00:00 — Why Skilled Trades matter now: Host Andrew Brown sets the stage; introducing Tyler Sasse and Western Welding Academy; outcomes vs. myths around welding jobs salary.

04:12 — Gen Z motivations & training: Hands-on learning, Education pathways, and how welding apprenticeship programs build Problem-solving and Creativity.

12:45 — Where the money is: Why high-pressure pipe welding commands top rates; clarifying Trades Careers across HVAC, Electricians, Plumbers, Millwrights, and Construction.

21:30 — From worker to owner: Craftsmanship, leadership, and scaling impact; connecting with Industry Experts, Contractors, and tools suppliers like Toolfetch.

31:05 — Curriculum & outcomes: How Western Welding Academy measures success; pay-stub proof of welding jobs salary; advancing within the Trades Industry.

42:18 — Advocacy & next steps: Building community through the Skilled Trades Advisory Council; practical routes into skilled trades careers and sustaining Tradespeople growth.

Key Takeaways

1. Outcomes beat opinions: Real welding jobs salary data and pay-stubs show strong earnings—especially via high-pressure pipe welding and structured welding apprenticeship programs.
2. Talent needs direction: Gen Z brings Creativity and grit; the right Education pathway in Skilled Trades turns potential into professional Craftsmanship and career mobility.
3. Broader ecosystem matters: Success spans Construction, HVAC, Electricians, Plumbers, Millwrights—with Industry Experts, Contractors, and partners like Toolfetch supporting tools, training, and hiring.
4. Advocacy drives access: The Skilled Trades Advisory Council and community voices (e.g., Andrew Brown, Tyler Sasse) elevate Trades Careers, Problem-solving, and long-term paths in the Trades Industry.

About the Guest

Tyler Sasse is the CEO/founder of Western Welding Academy, a training organization focused on production-grade quality, work ethic, and job-ready outcomes. His team emphasizes welding apprenticeship programs, advanced techniques like high-pressure pipe welding, and career coaching that leads to real-world gains in welding jobs salary across the Trades Industry.

Keywords:

Skilled Trades Careers, Welding Jobs Salary, Western Welding Academy, High-Pressure Pipe Welding, Welding Apprenticeship Programs, Skilled Trades, Trades Industry, Trades Careers, Tradespeople, Construction, Carpentry, HVAC, Electricians, Plumbers, Millwrights, Andrew Brown, Tyler Sasse, Toolfetch, Industry Experts, Contractors, Craftsmanship, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Education, Advocacy, Skilled Trades Advisory Council

Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realtylersasse/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealTylerSasse

Website: https://www.westernweldingacademy.com/

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You know, with ai, I cut my attorney bill by 90% last year.

We're not outsourcing plumbing jobs, we're not outsourcing, you know,

machinists, AI is not coming for your plumbing, welding job anytime soon, right?

Not anytime soon.

And, and if ever, I mean, I, I think as long as there's people that are

willing to grab the tools and do the work, it'll always be there.

Hi, I'm Andrew Brown.

You're listening to the Lost Star of the Skilled Trades Podcast, a show that

shines the spotlight on careers in the skilled trades that are high paying,

honorable, rewarding, and fulfilling.

The trades are the backbone of the economy that keep us running and without them.

Our world would cease to exist.

All right, welcome back to The Lost Art of the Skilled Trades Podcast.

I'm your host, Andrew Brown.

Super excited.

I got Tyler Sassy of Western Welding Academy.

What's going on, my man?

Hey, how you doing, Andrew?

You know, it's interesting.

I follow you and it's funny that I haven't run into you.

Until this podcast, and it's super cool to see you and kind

of what you're doing out there.

Um, I'm really passionate about welding and all the trades and getting the

next generation and, I mean, I'm, let's just get right into it, man.

I mean, what's going on with Gen Z and getting them into the welding trade?

What are you seeing out there?

Yeah, so, you know, I think, uh, there, there's so much about Gen Z that,

you know, all the generations, but.

I personally have, like I, I would think maybe like a little bit more of

a unique kind of take on, on the, you know, this generation, uh, I, I believe

that they're incredibly talented, super creative, very hands-on, but I

think that they're a product of, of their parents see their, their parents.

Uh, and, and it's a generational thing and you know, this is

just one man's opinion, but.

When you go back to the parents, uh, you know, they're a product

of of their parents, right?

Which are a product of their parents.

And, you know, eventually you go back to, uh, the Great Depression

and, and just hardship and where, you know, there's just not, now we have

plenty of everything, right, with the age of the internet and everything.

But, but as, as humans progress all the way through, they're, uh, you know.

If you go back to like great depression, like, you know, it wasn't, every family

didn't have a car and, and you know, there wasn't enough resources to go around.

Well, as you go to like our parents' age, they're, they're the,

the people of the plenty Right?

Two cars, the vacations and, yeah.

And so what happened then is, is, is our generation, we were

just kind of like left, right?

Because there was economically.

Everybody had plenty.

So there were, we were just kind of left there.

And so there's a lot of trauma.

Like we were the kids that like, oh, you wanna go to the store?

Walk to the store, right.

Uh, and so there, there's, there's, uh, now we're, we are like the

helicopter parents we're like, oh yeah, don't do, you know, safe space, you

know, by helmet, you know, need bad.

Like, I have two kids that say, Ethan, don't do that.

And I'm like.

You know, my, my, my parents didn't do that.

Not so much.

Right.

They were, they were like exploring the world and, you know, going on

vacations and checking this out and, you know, it's the age of the internet.

And so I, I think that these kids nowadays, they're just really suppressed.

They're, they're, they're not, uh.

There's, they're so like, all right, get outta here.

Give me, let me do the thing.

You know, let me, let me be the hero.

Let me, let me fight and earn and, and prove myself.

And so I think that's, you know, I think that's important that we,

we give 'em the space to do that.

Yeah.

I just think they have different motivators.

Somebody said, I was at the welding summit by the American Welding Society.

They had a welding summit, uh, last month, and somebody threw out.

They're not motivated.

They're, they're lazy.

You know, there's always somebody who says it.

I'm like.

First of all, lemme challenge you on that.

They're not lazy.

They just have different motivators, right?

They want different things.

And this is not Gen X and this is not baby boomers.

This is a completely different generation holding your animal.

Uh, want, want different things.

I mean, it's, I mean, you probably see it.

Um, and, and your welding academy, you must, you must see that I, it mostly

Gen Zers who are coming through there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, average age, you know, 19, 20 years old and from all 50 states.

So we, it, it's not like.

We're in Wyoming, so least populated state in America, and, and maybe

people from Wyoming are a certain way, but we get people from everywhere.

And so we get like this really good flavor of, of kids and, and

that's what I can tell you after looking at, at people from all over.

It's that they're, they are motivated by different things, but they're

super motivated, they're super talented, they're super driven.

They just want an opportunity to prove themselves, you know?

Uh.

And I, I think, you know, it's men and women, but mostly these young boys.

Like, they, they love it.

And when we challenge 'em, I mean, they rise to the challenge.

Like, like you wouldn't believe.

Yeah.

It's, I, I really, really, you know, I, I hear a lot of old people, they're like,

oh man, I don't know what we're gonna do.

These kids don't, don't, they don't wanna work.

They're not motivated.

And, and almost like this fear base, like what is our future gonna look like

if we have to rely on these people?

And we do, we have to rely on them.

But I'm, I'm so inspired, like they're, we're in such good hands.

It's just, it's just connecting with them.

I agree.

And it, it is finding some sort of bridge to them.

Again, it's, it's not the way we did it, it's the way they do it.

Right?

So that is the future generation.

This is what it's gonna be, you know, in X amount of years.

So we need to allow them to flourish.

Kind of get out of the way to some, some degree, and we need to,

need to meet them where they are.

Right.

We can't be invisible.

We need to be there for them.

Otherwise they get lost, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I, I, I a hundred percent agree and it's, if we connect with them, we

challenge them, you know, we show them the path, but like, let them do it.

They, they're.

Incredible.

Some of the most phenomenal people I've, I've, you know, had the pleasure

of meeting is, is these kids, like they're, they're just, they're, they're

different for sure, but as an employer or as an educator, as a superintendent

or you know, anybody that's, that's working in any sort of industry that

requires people, which they all do, you know, you gotta, you gotta figure

out a way to connect with them.

Yeah.

And it's not always easy.

It really, really isn't, because.

They'll say, well, they're always on their cell phone, right?

What are they doing on their cell phone?

They don't show up early like we used to do.

Well again, it might not be the way we do it or did it, you know?

It's the way it's done sort of.

Today.

I wanna shift focus to your welding academy and get sort of like a background

of like, where did you start from?

Was your anyone in your family in the welding trade?

Did you fall into the welding trade?

I want to get the whole background of how you really started.

Yeah, so that's a great, uh, a great question.

You know, I I, I was really, I was like a frustrated youth, you know,

um, I, I hate following rules.

I hate the status quo.

I mean, I just despise standing in line and, and so I. When it came to high

school, I didn't make it, you know, I dropped out when I was 16 years old.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

And um, you know, my dad, which at the time, you know, he was a welder,

but like early on, and he was a superintendent, he was in management.

And so I didn't really, like, I didn't think of.

Welding is even just, it never even crossed my mind.

I took it in high school and just because, you know, I, I liked

working around the house building go-karts and stuff like that.

Was it a shock class?

Did you It was just a shock class.

Yeah.

Oh, you took shock class?

Yeah.

Okay.

So it actually existed when you went, okay.

Yes, it did.

It did.

Yeah.

And it, and it was great.

You know, I excelled at that, obviously.

Right.

But it was the math and the English and the science and

all the, the more just like.

I think following the rules.

'cause, 'cause I skipped school at one point and they were like,

you can't do that, you know?

And I'm like, why?

You know?

So I didn't make it through high school.

Um, I went to work for the civil contractor putting in,

uh, you know, subdivisions.

This is like right at the peak of the housing boom.

And, and uh, like oh four, uh, you know, oh five in that area.

So, I mean, right before the crash, right.

And.

Worked for them.

They were great.

I was a shop boy, ran parts, you know, uh, and, and I, I kept thinking

like, I, I gotta have a career.

I gotta have a trade.

And, uh, and, and I just, I, I was more of a product in my surroundings,

so it wasn't like I didn't set out to be a tradesman or, you know, I

just, everybody I knew, you know, worked in the trays there, plumbers,

electricians, you know, machinists and, and then So it was surrounded by you?

Yeah, I, yes.

Give, yeah.

Yeah.

I wasn't like, I like going to college wasn't even like.

Something that was talked about.

I mean, if I, not that it, not that my, my family wasn't like antico, but,

but if I went, I was gonna have to do it my own way and I mean, I couldn't

even make it through high school.

Right.

So, so it wasn't, uh, so yeah, long story short, I, uh, when I turned 18, you

know, I was legal to work in the field and, and, uh, so I started looking like

really getting serious about a trade.

And I was a laborer at that time.

Uh, you know, putting in sewer pipe and, uh, building roads.

And I don't know.

I I was gonna be a lineman.

That was like, that was when lineman Really?

Yeah.

It was big.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I guess you're not afraid of heights.

Well, I, I didn't even think about it.

It just Oh, you didn't think about that?

Yeah.

I was just like, oh man, they, these guys make a lot of money and they, they

get to travel and, and you know, this is, so, I was looking into it and, but

it, you know, I grew up in Washington state, so if you were gonna be a

lineman, you had to be a union lineman.

So there was this little requirement.

You had to have a high school diploma.

Oh, okay.

So that was the first time that I was like, oh wow, uh, maybe this high

school thing is actually important.

Right.

And so, um, yeah, being a lineman, that was not a thing.

I, I kind of dabbled, looked into it, and, uh, and I was my, my best friend,

we were both looking into it at the same time, except he had a high school diploma.

And, uh, and then my uncle, he, he called me one day.

He was like, Hey, I'm part of this union and we need welders really, really bad.

They've got this training program.

And, and my first question is like, Hey Joe, I gotta be a high school.

You know, do I gotta have a high school diploma?

Yeah, sure.

And he's like, no, they accepted GED.

I'm like, oh.

Which I had had that, you know, so, and my, my mind, I was thinking,

okay, I'm gonna go be a welder.

And I looked up the pay scale and, and actually was like very

close to the lineman thing.

And so, but in my mind I was thinking like a welder is like this greasy, you know,

he's got, and, and in my minds I had like, you know, the, the welder's got these

overalls on, he, he's kind of greasy.

He's like semi unskilled.

And I just pictured like eating my sandwich right for lunch

with my welding gloves on.

That was like the pitcher that I had in my mind that was gonna be me.

And I thought, oh, well, okay.

It's not, not like super sexy or, you know, it's not like visually d

appealing, but they make a lot of money.

And, uh, they work a lot.

And, and so, Hey, put me in.

You know?

So long story short, I get into this training program, uh, through some hoops.

I had to jump through some hoops, and when I went in there I thought

like, I'm gonna be good at this.

I took it in high school.

I'm, I'm like, hands on.

I'm, I'm good at most everything that I really put my mind to.

So you made up your mind like, I'm gonna crush it.

Yeah.

I'm gonna crush it.

Yeah.

I was just like, there's no doubt I'm gonna crush it.

Dude, I get in there, I don't have a clue.

And I, within like the first day, I have this first thought, like, I

don't know if I can make it here.

Like, I don't know if I got what it takes and, but I got this thing about quitting.

When I really set my mind to something, I, I would rather die than quit, you know?

So.

Well, I want to ask you something there.

I want to, I wanna stop you there 'cause you, you said something

really important about not quitting.

And a lot of kids face this as well where it gets hard and they quit.

How did you keep going?

You know, it sounds kind of cliche because I did quit high school.

Yeah.

But I didn't wanna be in high school.

But when I was in this welding class, I really wanted to be a welder.

And I, I think it comes down to, you know, there's this old saying like,

burn the boats, you know, uh, like remove any possibility of retreat.

And I had kind of did that in my career because I had quit that company.

I had worked long time before and, and this was my new path.

I think that, you know, the process to learning, to weld, just like any

other trade, you will go through these phases of, of, I think I'm gonna

make it, I think I'm gonna make it.

And then the next day, like, I don't know if I'm gonna make it right.

It, it's, but it's exhilarating, right?

And when you, when you get a little, gain a little ground,

and you start, you start winning.

I love winning everybody.

You know, I, I think everybody loves winning.

Game of life.

Yeah.

It's a Game of Life, you know?

Game of life.

Yeah.

It, it turned out I was, I was pretty decent at it at the end,

you know, at the end of that class.

And, uh, yeah, I had a fantastic time thrown into Weld.

So that, was that a four year apprenticeship?

Well, it, this was a four month, uh, welding course, and then that, that got

me into this five year apprenticeship.

Okay.

But, but I, but I was able to get 18 months credit.

Uh, so yeah, I mean, it ended up, you know, I, I, I did it

in three and a half years.

All in, you know, what time you count that course?

Like four years.

I was a journeyman and journeyman wage at that time was like $37 an

hour, which it seems like forever ago.

Right?

Um, I don't know if journeyman wage now is probably in the 60 or 70.

I haven't looked, but I mean, it's way up there, right?

Show me a, show me anybody that walks into a trade making 60, 70,

$80 an hour after four or five years.

Eh, it's good.

The traits are good.

You know, they're, they're, they're the wave of the future.

They really are.

Yeah.

It's good money.

And it's interesting you said that school maybe wasn't for you, and that

could be a lot of people's past, like school or college is not for a lot of

people and a lot of people get pushed into a four year college degree, and

I see a lot what happens is these kids go to school and then they're 26, 27,

they're like, I just went to school for something that I didn't even like.

Gonna be in, like, I just, I studied finance or something.

I don't wanna do this thing, but I know I'm good with my hands.

But they sort of got pushed in and now they're in debt and

now they're career changers.

They see a lot of that.

Do you see career changers come into your academy?

Oh, yes.

Yes.

Hundreds.

Hundreds of 'em.

We call 'em retrains, you know, and there's this whole stigma.

Yeah, I mean like, uh, which if you, if you go back 30 years.

The, the norm was a, if you don't go to college, you're

not gonna have a shot at life.

You're gonna be, you know, and it was always this mentality of, you know, if,

if college doesn't work out or you know, whatever, you could always be a plumber.

You can always be a, it was always plan B. And now I'm, you know, I get these parents

and these grandparents that come up and they're like, Hey, so like little Johnny,

like, he's just not cut out for college.

And I try not to talk about this dropping outta high school.

'cause I don't, I don't want to, in reality, I should just stay there.

It's a low bar, just stay in school, finish, you know.

So I don't ever wanna see like, be seen as like promoting this drop

outta high school thing because I, I just, I don't think that's good.

Not just finish, you know, but.

So often I talk to parents and they're like, yeah, you know, little

Johnny, you know, he's just like, it's like not doing very good in school.

Like, what do you think we should do?

Like totally excels a shop class.

And so I pull him aside, I'm like, Hey, look like this is, this is who I was.

And, and I tell him my story and they're like, wow.

I'm like, yeah, he, he can shoot for the moon.

It, it's totally up to him if he puts in the work and, and wants it.

And I, I feel like that's really, if you know, I mean, even my kids finish

high school, you know, it's a low bar.

But, but they, I I, I think one of the things that I really want

to impress upon these, these kids of this generation is we need you.

Uh, you are so critical.

Our future depends on you and you can be anything that you wanna be.

You know, with ai, I don't, I don't see, I, I cut my

attorney bill by 90% last year.

Crazy.

Right.

Chad?

CPT, man.

Unbelievable.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like, we're not, we're not outsourcing plumbing jobs.

We're not outsourcing.

Yeah.

You know, machinists, we're not.

Yeah.

Ai AI is not coming for your plumbing, welding job, right?

Or anytime soon.

Right?

Not anytime soon.

And, and if ever, I mean, I, I think as long as there's

people that are willing to.

You know, grab the tools and do the work.

It, it'll always be there.

I wanna go back to what you were saying about parents.

They came up to you that you're relatable.

Your story is relatable in sense that you didn't go to high school, but it's,

you know, you weren't cut out for that.

But it's relatable to somebody who now you can show them, I've gone this path,

I'm successful, and they look at you and they say, wow, it's possible, you

know, to not go the the college route.

And, and, and look what you achieved, which is a good thing.

You know, you have that story that you can make an impact on the company, you

know, a bunch of these kids' lives.

So there are parents that are coming through where these kids

are just not cut out for school.

Do you find, and, and interesting enough, I do find that some people in the trades

or have a DHD, like they just can't.

Concentrate in in school.

And I remember speaking to um, uh, Jamie McMillan, who was a lineman No.

Is an ironworker up in Canada.

And her big thing was like I couldn't concentrate in school.

Yeah.

Like I had a DH adhd.

Yeah.

But I excelled in ironwork on the tools.

Yes.

You're seeing I got a DH adhd.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Yeah.

And so when somebody's trying to, and I'm a, I'm a real hands-on, like

visual learner, so, so that was one of the problems that I had during,

uh, school and my parents weren't.

Overly concerned.

Like they were just like, ah.

Because I kept asking 'em, Hey, can I really wanna drop out?

I really ain't, you know, I, I don't like this school.

They're like, of course, they're standard answers.

Like, no, no, you gotta stay there, you gotta finish.

And finally, one day my dad, my dad comes home and he's like, Hey, so

I seen your car at work today at, at seven o'clock in the morning.

Why were you there?

I said, I dropped outta high school.

Right?

I, I just quit asking.

So.

I, I think A-D-H-D-A-D-D-I mean, you know, it's, I, it's a super

human, you know, uh, I don't know, maybe call it a skill or an asset.

It's people that are just really creative and they, they want to do

things with their hands and they're very visual learners and, and turns

out, I mean, I've got the receipts.

I, I'm pretty dogg unsuccessful.

I don't wanna, you know.

Make me sound more than I am.

But, but, uh, that's my story and I've made it, you know, and I've, uh, had, had,

you know, quite a few different companies and I'm still the CEO at Western Welding

Academy, and I've got a nonprofit Blue Grit, you know, that we, we support, we

run our blue collar tour out of that.

And, and, you know, we tell that story to people all across

America, young kids especially.

And, and I would say from a. Success standpoint.

I mean, I don't know.

I'm there.

Yeah.

And that's something that you can be proud of and that's something that, you

know, you can, again, going back to kids and seeing what's possible out there.

'cause I always like to show them what's possible, working with their hands.

That, you know, somebody, you know, put the time and effort,

but you found your love, you found what you're, what you're good at.

Um, I wanna shift over from when you made, uh, a leap from, I guess, an

employee to business owner, because that's very difficult for someone who's

been in the field and you have the technical skills, but to have the business

skills, it's a whole different mindset.

How did you flip switch, and did you have any mentors that helped you along the way?

Yeah.

Trial by fire, you know?

Yeah.

My first year, of course, this was before ma, the massive inflation

we've seen after, uh, you know, the last four or five years.

But, uh, my first year as a welder I made $72,000.

Right.

So I'm 18 or 19 at the time.

Wow.

I mean, okay.

I feel like.

Yeah, it, this was in 2006, 2007.

So, uh, you know, great money.

And then my next year I was, I don't know, over a hundred.

And as I worked all the way through my career, I got to work in, you

know, all across the country.

I worked in Alaska and the North Slope, up in the Arctic Circle.

Uh, all, you know, the west coast, the, the south, uh, the east coast.

I mean, I've, I've, I had this phenomenal career.

I, I, um, and then I started pipeline welding, which is.

Kind of like the highest, uh, it, it's by far like the highest skill level and

pay, uh, scale for, for pipe welders and, uh, you know, two 50, 300,000 a year.

Uh, no problem.

I mean, just, but you're traveling Y yes, yes.

You're traveling, which is, which is a little bit difficult for the family.

And I, I'm married, I've got a wife and, and three kids.

And so, uh, you know, not.

Eventually people just get burned out.

Your kids, your wife, you know?

Uh, and so, uh, I, I think as a welder I had this really good

career, but eventually I, I, you know, I got tired of it.

And so I moved to Gillette, Wyoming.

And, but having, having grown up and spent all that time in the West Coast where

it's just super competitive, uh, you know.

Uh, which most everything's union there.

So you think about like competing on the, on the West coast, like

the, all these contractors hiring from the same labor unions.

They're, they're buying all their material from the same places, you know,

so how do you, how do you get a job?

You, you gotta be really competitive and it's tight margins, two, 3%, you know?

And so moving to Wyoming, it was like stepping back, you know, several

decades in stone age, there was.

We did things, uh, as a welder, like we were doing things that I had never I

had heard of, but I had never seen it.

And 'cause it was just so ancient technology.

And I, and I remember asking my boss at the time when I moved there and

was working there, I'm like, why do we, why do we do that like this?

You know?

And I was like, insinuating that this way of doing things is broken.

And he was just like, oh, well, I mean, that's the way we've always done it.

And I, I remember like the, the, the straw that broke the camel's back.

This is when I first started my first business.

I, they, they handed me a print and, you know, they're

like, Hey, can you build this?

And it was just some, you know, some pipe fabrication, some spools.

And I'm like, yeah, I can build that, you know, and, and

they were like, are you sure?

And they, they kind of looked at me.

I'm like, yeah, I can build that.

Is there, I thought it was a trick question.

Like, like what's the, you know, I'm looking at the print.

And so finally you guys like, okay, build it, you know?

And I said, where's all the material?

And he's like, oh, it's out there in the snowbank.

And I remember thinking like, this guy's gonna pay me like a hundred dollars an

hour to dig material from the snowbank.

We would've never done that on the west coast.

Never.

Very different.

Yes, very D very different.

And so I'm like the, they must be just wildly profitable.

And so that was when I had this thought.

I'm like, if I can take my West Coast mentality.

I can bring it to the Midwest.

I, I bet.

I mean, we could just dominate and we did.

And so it was shortly after I started a, a welding and fabrication

company, which was wildly successful.

And I sold that in 2015.

But there was so many things that I didn't know about being a business owner.

Like I didn't understand accounting or I didn't, you know, I mean,

I don't have a college degree.

I just know the work.

Like I know how to get the work, I know how to get the work done, the

hiring, the firing, the collecting the money, and, but there was all kinds of.

Uh, you know, ebitda, I had no, I had a clue what EBITDA was.

Yeah.

You know, for your business listeners, they know what

EBITDA is, but it was, yeah.

There, there were so many, uh, in that first, I would say that first company was

such a good learning experience for me.

It, it taught me all the things not to do, but, but I was relatively young.

I was, I think it was like 27 at the time, 28, you know, so I had got

time to mess it up and do it again.

And, and, uh, yeah, I sold that in 2015.

Um, I, I started inspecting and running work.

I was a welder, former and a superintendent just kind of bouncing

around and, and, uh, and then in 2019, right before Coronavirus, I

founded, uh, Western Welding Academy.

And that was like, this is it.

You know, I'm, I'm going all in on this.

This is my opportunity to really make a big impact for these kids.

Uh, I wanna, I wanna have this massive impact all across the nation.

And were you sure at that point because.

Coming off a business and selling a business, and now

you're starting a new venture.

Were you concerned at all?

Were you like this?

Is it like I'm, I know.

Or did you have any hesitation at that point?

Because I'm curious.

Yeah, I, well, so with the advancements in technology, like, like this was

before I even knew anything ai, but, but I could just see the way things

were going and I'm like, you know.

And for a lot of people that don't understand this, uh, you know, and

maybe some of your, your viewers or listeners don't know this, but

there's such a massive problem all across the co uh, the, the world.

So I, I, I knew about like, you know, technology was advancing.

That the trades were, that that was the place and the people that,

that were gonna really make it in this next level so that there's a,

there's, there's a, uh, globally the global supply chain is crumbling.

So, so all these countries all across the world, they're the age

of their people is getting so old.

It's this massive problem that, that people are talking

about all over the place.

But, uh, like go to YouTube and, and, and type in demographic

collapse, it'll blow your mind.

Japan loses, uh, their ability to maintain their infrastructure, right?

Infrastructure, that's hospitals, police, fire, I mean, drinking water, sewer

systems that work, uh, you know, they lose their infrastructure in 15 years.

They just don't have the people to maintain those systems.

In the next 20 years, China loses 50% of the workforce.

Think of all the things that we, we get from China, like

we don't even think about it.

Everything, right?

So everybody's aging out, you're saying?

Yes.

They're aging out.

Yeah.

And so I kind of knew of that and I could see this whole like

technology thing happening and, and you know, I'm like, well.

The, like, the kings of this next wave or next new world you, if you

wanna call it like the new, uh, as all these, uh, demographic collapse,

you know, as that's all happening, it's the people that, that, that put

a force of tradesmen into the field.

It, it's, I'm like that those are the people that are

gonna be really successful.

So, so how do I take what I know and really leverage that?

And you know what I, what little bit I know about business, how do I take that?

'cause I'm a really hard worker.

Uh, how do I take that and apply that?

And I mean, that's, I don't know.

That's why I'm so passionate about it.

And it, it's the people that, you know, if you're a contractor, you're putting people

into the, into the field putting, uh, men and women, or if you're training them, I

mean, I, or, or like what you're doing, you're talking about it, you're telling

the story, you're sharing that, that those are the people that are, that are

gonna be massively successful, you know?

And I get approached from private equity groups all the time, and you

know, they're, they're so, they're like, oh, we're so passionate.

Like, all the investment dollars are going towards that because

they know all these money guys.

They know well, all the private equity buying up, you know, HVAC and plumbing

and that's, you know, people who baby boomers who are in their mid sixties

or going into their seventies is like, I don't wanna do this anymore.

If they get a buyout, I don't know where it's gonna be with

private equity running everything.

We'll see how that shakes out, but I'm not surprised that they would approach

you in, in, in what you're doing.

Um, but I can imagine one, one side of it's profitable and it's fun,

but it's also fulfilling because you're changing people's lives.

And I've seen the videos and I've seen, you know, how you

approach the training side of it.

It's just inspiring in what you're doing.

So you, you're almost doing, I don't wanna say God's work, but like, and that's

kind of, kind of cheesy, but you're doing something that, and you're giving back.

You're giving back.

Yeah.

Well, I appreciate that.

I really, that means a lot to me.

Um, you know, we're at the top, you know, we're at the top of our game.

We're at the, um, we're at the tip of the spear in this space, if you will.

And, uh, you know, we have, we have worked really, really hard to find ways

to connect with the kids and, and, uh, you know, the snack generation and, and,

and really connect with them and, and.

Say things in a way that's meaningful and inspiring to them.

And, and I feel like we've done a really good job with that.

Social media.

You know, we, we set a goal, uh, last year for, we wanted to reach a billion

people and we, we missed it just by, I don't know, I. A few million, which

when you think about a few million, that sounds like a lot, but dude,

that's a thousand million, right?

You know, a billion is, and so, um, yeah, we have a big voice

and we've reached a lot of kids.

And, and I think one of the things we, so being a welder, you focus as a welder.

To be successful and be a good welder, you have to focus on production and quality.

But quality, you cannot sacrifice quality, otherwise, you won't be a,

a successful welder for very long.

So we built our entire program around that.

And what we found, the, the, the very first thing that we found was that we

had to really focus on teaching work ethic, accountability, and integrity.

Uh, this is no way of me saying that we don't focus on teaching welding skills

'cause we a hundred percent do, but.

Work ethic, accountability, integrity, that's what these employers,

and that's what it takes to be a jam up hand out in the field.

So it's the soft skills on top of the tech skills.

Yes.

And so we structured in a very, and we could have bought a curriculum, but

when we realized that, we're like, oh, there's no curriculum out there that you

can buy off the shelf, plug and play.

It's not gonna work.

It's not gonna do what we need it to do.

It was, it was painful.

It took a long time.

There was a lot of iterations.

We went back and forth, lots and lots of, you know, debates and,

uh, you know, that's how you get the best, the best, uh, solution.

But, but in the end, we, we designed our own curriculum.

We built our own system, and our students make 32% more money on day one than

any other welding school in the nation.

So like, it works, right?

We have really focused on that quality.

And, and second to none.

And every year we're crushing 'em, our student.

And because I think as a education institution, you know, and that's what's

what, what's so wrong with, uh, you know, the, the educators nowadays is

that, and I don't know about nowadays, maybe they've always been this way,

but they don't focus on the outcome.

We, we, we are, as a welder, I'm super focused on the outcome because

when I make that weld, when the x-ray truck gets there and x-ray it.

It better be good, right?

I can't sacrifice that quality.

And so we, we solely base our success based on what our

students make when they come out.

And so we we're constantly tracking that.

And if we start slipping, well, hey, what's going on?

We better take a look.

Have, have market conditions changed?

Have you, you know, so you, you just gotta be in tune with it and, and,

um, never, never give up and never take, take your off the ball, right?

How long are these programs?

So if somebody starts tomorrow, how long is that program and

when do they start working?

So the audience understands, like, yeah, it's a, so our longest

program's a six month course.

Six month, okay.

Yeah.

So we have some shorter ones because of that retrainer aspect, like you

were talking, um, you know, we get so many students from other Weldon

schools, or maybe they're already a well there and they wanna upskill a little

bit or, you know, so we do have some shorter programs, but we, we have a six

month courses that's solely designed for somebody that has no experience.

So they come in and we take 'em from, they know nothing.

And that's one of the common questions we get.

Like, well, I don't know anything.

I didn't take it in high school or my high school that didn't

have shot class or, it's okay.

We, we designed this thing for, for the person that knows

nothing and, uh, it's six months.

You can be well netted, journeyman level, really, really high level.

Six months.

Yeah.

And, and that's it.

What's the investment in for somebody to go through the academy?

Yeah.

So, um, 90.

2%. This number fluctuates a little bit, but, uh, 90, 92% come from OUTTA state.

So, uh, and so, you know, everybody that comes needs housing.

So including housing, it's just a shade over 35,000.

So, uh, you know, if you think about that, I'm gonna invest, it's $35,800.

I'm gonna invest 35 8.

I'm gonna spend six months grinding and it's a grind.

We run this place.

We're not, we're not soft.

If you, you know, you uh, sure you weed out the people that you know.

Yeah.

We, yeah, we run, I would imagine just like a Absolutely.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's not a four hour soft little, it's eight hours a day.

Um, you know, we run kinda like a bootcamp.

I mean, it's, it's pretty savage.

But, um, but yeah, six months you can walk out of there making, you know, 70, 80, 90.

We've got, we have, we have graduates making over $200,000 a year.

Like, just, yeah.

Crazy.

And they're, and they're working a lot of hours.

Look at me wrong.

This is, these are not, you know, you're not gonna make 200 grand a

year making, working 40 hours a week.

Right.

It's a nine to five, right?

Right.

It's not a nine to five.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So.

Yeah, they're making killer money and they're, and they're building

things like they're so impactful, so needed, uh, to America.

Because, you know, you look at any industry, it's, it's, uh, yeah, we all

need drinking water and we all, you know, uh, you know, need to turn the lights on.

Electricians are so needed, but, but everything is made possible because a

welder held two things together, right?

Two pieces of metal, and, uh.

So, yeah, the welder is like kind of the kingpin we say, you know, to all

the other trades and all the industries.

So it, it's, yeah, super important.

Well, it's funny you say that because I'm speaking tomorrow at a session and, um,

you know how to inspire and, you know, retain, uh, the younger generation will

get Gen Z. And one of the things I do say is what would happen if we woke up

tomorrow and all the welders disappeared?

I mean, envision, you know, what a life is like without welders

or any traits person, but like.

Like a welder.

But it's interesting.

So you, you, going back to what you were saying about the investment in, so it's 35

investment ins, six months, and you come out and you could be making 70, $80,000.

How do you, I, I'm really interested in this.

How do you push back on kids who say there's, there's no money in welding

because you, you have a lot of kids on TikTok, you have YouTube and.

You don't really know who it is exactly, but there's a lot of kids say

there, there's no money in welding.

How do you push back?

'cause even welding workforce data.com, which is a, a part of the American

Welding Society, it says the median wage is about $26 and 79 cents

the median wage, or about 52, 53.

So how did they make more money coming out of your organization and

what do you say to those kids who are saying, eh, there's no money.

I, I don't think you can really say anything, right.

It's you, you gotta show them.

And so we, we put this whole book together.

We call it our results book.

Uh, I have this saying that results, because nothing else matters.

Nothing, right?

So we put this whole book together, it's our results book, and it's, it's

literally just the pay stubs of graduates.

So when you look at that book and you see these, these guys making three, four,

or five, $6,000 a week, I'm like, well, what do you, what do you classify money?

I think you gonna make three grand a week.

I think that's good money, you know, for a 18, 19-year-old kid.

And so that, that's how I respond to that 'cause.

Yeah, you're right.

There's, there's always some Debbie Downer in the comment section, and what I found,

when you really look into it, it's, it's a welder who's, who's working at this

little fabrication shop, that really low skill stamping out a part that, you know,

a robot's probably gonna take that job 'cause more of an assembly line type.

And there's not a lot of, yeah, there's not a lot of money in those

jobs, but robots should be taking them jobs in reality, you know.

Uh, and that's, that's kind of leads me to the second thing is a lot of people

think like, well, you know, and, and we're here at Fabtech, Andrew, and if you

look around, there's robots everywhere.

For the weld that's being the same weld over and over.

It's the same one assembly line type of work.

Well, yeah.

A robot should do that.

Cobalt welding of some like Yeah.

Who, who would wanna sit there on assembly line and make and

make the same two inch stitch?

Weld?

Yeah.

It's monotonous.

Yeah.

Nobody, yeah.

As a DD, you know, somebody with a DD.

Yeah.

It, you forget it.

Get it.

Yeah.

So what is, if, if you were to, um, talk to the audience and say.

This is where the money is.

I know you kind of sprinkled it a little bit on a, on a couple

errors, but where would you, where would you concentrate your time to

make the most bang for the buck?

High pressure pipe.

High pressure pipe.

High pressure pipe.

So, so, uh, and, and for the audience that doesn't understand, you know,

you think about, I, I just talked about like making a two inch stitch.

Well, that's a flat little.

Weld on, I don't know, some part that's going through the semi line.

Well, well in, in welding, you know, if anytime that's you're

welding in a straight line, a robot can weld in a straight line

whether there's horizontal vertical.

But when you weld pipe, you gotta weld overhead.

When you're on the bottom right, and you come around, now you

gotta weld vertical up the side.

And you gotta weld flat when you come across the top.

And so it doesn't matter if you're going uphill, downhill, it's all the same.

And because when you weld pipe, you have to weld in all position.

That requires the most amount of skill.

And so skill equals dollars.

The more skill you got, the more dollars you're gonna make.

And so for the audience, I, I would say high pressure pipe, which, you

know, people think when they think of that, they're like, oh, pipelines, you

know, natural gas or oil pipelines.

Well, what if oil price or, but no, no.

High pressure pipe includes everything from a dairy, right?

We're gonna take the, the milk from the cow.

That's all goes into pipe.

Stainless steel.

You know, power generation, every single coal fired, nuclear,

diesel fire, it doesn't matter.

The, the fuel for the nuclear powerhouse or the, the powerhouse.

All of that is made possible because of, of pipe and pipe welders and

high pressure pipe, uh, you know, semiconductors, all the computer chips.

You know, that's a massive industry.

Uh, TSMC has been migrating outta Taiwan, bringing all their assets to America.

There's, there's like trillions of dollars being invested in, in all

over the United States because of the workforce issues that happened in Taiwan.

But all that's there, there's so much pipe that gets welded there.

Uh, you know, you think about Intel, that's, which is a great American company.

I mean, all these plants, it's all pipe, you know, and there's structural

steel and there's other things in there, but, but pipe welders are in

the average age of a pipe welder.

So.

People don't generally go into this trade, uh, you know, for 40 years.

Like it's a hot, sweaty job.

And it's not easy.

It's not easy.

That's not easy.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

Don't, yeah.

And that's what I tell them kids like, don't kid yourself.

This is not an easy job.

That's why we make so much money, because it takes a lot of skill,

a lot of talent, and it's hard.

Uh, but, but the average welder, uh, is in that industry about 10 to 12 years.

So there's always a shortage, always a shortage of welders.

If you're skilled, you can make the big money.

So if you're skilled and you work some overtime, so you're making way

into the six figures, would you say?

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

A hundred plus thousand a year.

Easy.

A hundred thousand.

Do you think that you hit a ceiling at some point in the field?

As a welder.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, and that's where like the skillset, you know, you start out, um, working

like maybe commercial hospitals, like the chilled water piping.

You know, you walk into a hospital and it's cold or warm in there.

You don't realize that that is a product of a pipe welder that put all

that pipe in to make that possible.

A lot of people don't know that, but you know, that that's, I would say like a

entry level pipe welder is working on a plant like that as you work your way up.

By far, nuclear powerhouses and pipeline welding, uh,

cross country pipeline welding.

That's where the big, like the highest, uh, wage you're

gonna command at that level.

And so, and, and that's when I got there.

I'm like, well, what can I be after this?

Like, there, there is no, like, there's no up from here.

I'm at the top.

What am I gonna do?

And um, you know, like at that point.

I wanted more, and that's when I started, I got into supervision,

I started running work.

I, I went, eventually went on my own, branched out one on my own, started that

very first company, so, so, you know, um, as a pipeline welder, I, I'm making well

above two 50 a or 300,000 a year, like.

But that's, that's welding, you know, six tens, seven tens, I mean,

you're putting in some overtime.

I, I would, I would work, uh, about 8, 9, 10 months a year.

I would take, you know, 2, 3, 4 months off sometimes.

Okay.

And I mean, if you make 300,000 a year and you can take four months off.

Feels great.

You know, like, don't spend all your money, save it, you know?

Right, of course.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

Well that's another aspect of that you just touched upon.

I don't know if you, you know, you talk to your students, it's one

thing to make X amount of dollars, but you gotta keep a certain amount.

You talked about accountability and the things, the soft skills.

This I, I'm just shifting back only 'cause you touched upon it.

You teach any financial, the financial side of it.

Does that come up?

Yes.

Yes it does.

Okay, good.

Yeah, so.

I, I developed this system, and I won't bore you a bunch of details, but we

call it the three bank system, and it's, it's a way to, 'cause I, I, I think one

of the things that these young people, you know, in the age of social media.

You know, it's not like you don't have just a ton of discipline, right?

You know, like it's this instant gratification.

These, these kids have, have learned this behavior of like, if

I want something, just go get it.

It's that I can get the dopamine very quickly.

You know, I, I love psychology and, and how, uh, our brains work and whatnot,

but, but, so I think it's important to build systems that don't require

just this huge amount of discipline.

Build a system that doesn't require a discipline.

Just it.

And, and that's where this three bank, you, you calculate your bills and then

you calculate your spending money.

And, and so we teach this whole thing called the three bank system.

And, uh, it works.

I mean, you know, I'll get these calls from these kids, you know, three, four

or five months later after they graduate, and I'm like, Hey, how's it going?

They're like, I got 60 grand in my bank.

I'm like, dude, that's sweet.

You know, that just fires me up.

Yeah, that's awesome.

They don't teach that in school.

They don't, they don't, they really don't teach that, teach that in school.

There's no real course on that.

No.

Right.

No, but I'm, I'm glad that you teach that, that, you know, it's one

thing to make X amount of dollars, you're gotta keep a certain amount.

Um, so I'm glad that you kind of build that into your whole platform.

Yeah, yeah.

So, so, so important.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So you've taken this on the road, basically.

So where do you go Is the blue collar tour, where do you, where do you show

up and what's it like at these events?

Yeah, that's a great question.

Yeah.

You know, uh, in 2020, uh, you know, we started the company in 2019, uh, 2020.

I kept seeing these headlines, right?

Coronavirus is happening, you know, uh, last part of 2020 and then 2021

rolls around and, and I kept seeing these headlines 'cause they, they shut

the schools down and, you know, the suicide rates were just off the charts.

And I'm thinking like, dude, like these kids are killing themselves.

We gotta like, somehow we have to contribute.

We gotta stop that.

I don't.

Uh, I can't change the, the, you know, shelter in place.

You, you know, coronavirus policy or laws or, or rules.

I don't know.

Some of it was laws, but it wasn't, I can't change that for,

you know, Nebraska or California.

Or Texas or, but like, and so we were, our team was talking about like, somehow

we gotta connect with these kids and.

You know, 'cause they were, the only interaction they were getting was

through, you know, everybody had to wear a mask and nobody was showing

up really doing events at that time.

And everything was digital.

You know, this whole work from home thing was taking place.

And, and so one day I'm like, you know what, we're just gonna, we're gonna get

in the welding truck and we're just gonna drive there and we're just gonna show

up and we're gonna weld pipe with them.

Well, we're gonna weld whatever and we're gonna make this event.

And so my team was like, dude, you're nuts.

That is not gonna work.

And well, turns out it worked pretty good.

Yeah.

See?

Yeah.

So now, now it's nationwide.

Um, you know, we go coast to coast.

We put on about 30 events a year.

And, you know, it's through this, it's a, um, submission process where the

students have to submit a request.

The, the, the teachers have to submit a request, and then we evaluate

all the requests where, you know, uh, and we, we, we already know,

like we're gonna go coast to coast.

And so we base it all off on that.

And then whoever wins an event, then, uh, the schools from that

whole area all collect and, and, uh, we, we, it's an all day event.

It's phenomenal.

The kids love it.

Like if you look at blue collar tour.

On YouTube, you can, you can find some, some of our recap videos is pretty cool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I've seen some of the videos and it's just, like I said, it's inspiring to

see that, and you're making a difference and making an impact, and it just, I'm

sure it goes back to your roots, you know, just of who you are and how you

came up and, but the success side of it.

Did you ever think that you, you, you would get here, did you ever

think in your wildest dreams that you'd be at this point in your life?

Yeah, you know, somebody asked me that.

I don't know, a couple weeks ago.

And what I can tell you is, yeah, I, there, there were some things

like the blue collar tour that was just kind of spontaneous.

But yeah, when I, when I laid it out, I built this roadmap.

This is what we were gonna build.

Um, there, we've, we've taken a couple little detours, but we've built pretty

much, uh, almost identical to what my original kind of thought and vision was.

Um, I, I, uh.

Uh, what I, what I didn't understand or didn't think about is like all

the problems that come with it.

You know, there's so many, uh, yeah, there's just, there's a whole other

aspect and, you know, when things come up, I'm like, oh, I never

thought that was gonna be an issue.

Right?

Oh, wow.

We gotta hire somebody for that, or we gotta bring an

expert or bring a consultant in, or, um, but yeah, I, I think.

At the end of the day, I want, I wanna have a big impact.

I want to really inspire kids.

I want to talk to 'em.

I want to explain how the world works in a way that that's not being done in

traditional high school or, or college.

I wanna, I want them to have every opportunity for freedom or for true

freedom, which only can happen if, if you're financially successful.

That's, that's the truth.

And, and, uh.

And so I, I don't know, that's just really important to me.

I wanna give 'em every, every opportunity they can have.

It's a, like I said, it's a good feeling.

It's a fulfilling feeling to, to give back, especially as

someone who doesn't have a lot, that you give 'em a path, right?

You show 'em how to succeed and then after a handful of years you check up on

'em, like, wow, they really are following what, you know, I had told them to do.

There's a path there, but that's all because of, you know, kind of what

you've put together in your own academy.

People that come through it, right?

You put the processes together and you're showing them how to set,

basically show up and do the work.

'cause you know that the work ethic, you know, you wanna get anywhere

in life, you gotta put the time, effort behind it without work ethic.

It's, it's not gonna, it's not gonna happen.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You can be anything you wanna be.

If, if you're willing to.

Set a, um, you know, set a goal and as long as you're willing to put the

work in like you can, I'm, I feel like I'm living proof of that, you

know, this is what I wanted to do.

This is what, you know, I wanted, uh, like, and I, I mean, just go after it.

Don't take no for an answer and, and, and don't give up.

You know, just, just keep chipping away.

I mean, it, it, uh, it always works out.

Yeah.

It's not instant gratification here.

There's delayed gratification.

It might take a few years.

Tyler, this has been an excellent, excellent conversation.

Where do people find your academy?

Where do they find the blue collar tour?

They wanna find out more information.

Yeah.

Uh, western welding academy.com or apply to weld.com.

You know, we're on all social media platforms.

I mean, uh, at Western Welding Academy.

There's always a link in the bio.

Uh, there should be like a, a little page or link tree or something

that, that, uh, but it's, yeah, it's on our website and yeah.

If people wanna check it out, you know, I, I, uh, we're happy to, you know,

we always, we always need to meet more people spreading the word and talking

about what's happening and across the nation with, with the aging demographics

and the trades are where it's at.

Yeah.

And keep inspiring, man.

That's what it's all about.

I'll put all the information in the show notes, everybody can get to.

The links.

Thank you very much for being on the show today.

I'm super excited to be here at FABTECH all week.

And have a blast at the show, man.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, thank you, Andrew.

I really appreciate it.

Absolutely.

Alright,

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