Which comes first, the artist or the welder? That’s one of the many topics I get to explore during conversations with metal artists for Artist’s Gallery each issue.

Sometimes I like to go back and reread old Artist’s Gallery articles just because of what was said and how it’s stayed with me over the years. Each story is as unique and memorable as the person it is about, but a few have managed to stand out in my mind. The one thing is clear, at least in the nearly six years I’ve been writing these stories: Metal artists are either artists who progress to working with metal, or welders who, for whatever reason, decide to take a leap of faith and try their hand at art. (more...)

My colleague, Vicki Bell, web content editor for thefabricator.com, recently wrote a blog post regarding an article she read on msnbc.com titled "Some employers want return of vo-ed training,” where she expressed her disdain for the premise that reintegrating vocational education into high school curricula is “culturally unpalatable.”

Among other things, she said, “You simply have to have doers [versus thinkers] to bolster the economy and sustain the lifestyle that many of us have enjoyed throughout our lifetimes.” (more...)

Welding professionals have always struck me as being loyal to their industry and proud of the work that they do.  But it’s the welding educators who have left an impression because of the lengths they are willing to go to for their students and their programs.

Many times the role of welding teacher requires educators to wear a variety of hats. In other words, they are more to their students than just the people who hand out grades or critique their GTAW technique. Whether or not students will admit it, teachers are mentors, drill sergeants, parents, and, on occasion, friends. (more...)

Have you ever had a conversation with someone younger than you and realized that the references you were making to him or her were completely lost in translation? This happened to me about two months ago with my high school volleyball team I coach. We competed in a tournament in the Chicago suburbs, and one of the players on a team we competed against Wase the daughter of former Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen.

Since I grew up a Bulls fan I was pretty excited when I mentioned it to my team. But my excitement was replaced by astonishment when I realized their vacant expressions meant they had no idea who I was talking about. I was shocked. In the early 1990s Scottie Pippen was a household name in my neck of the woods because of his success with the Chicago Bulls. Only with the help of Internet sites like Google and YouTube did my players have any clue who he was. (more...)

The events of 10 years ago forever changed our lives, our country. Like many of you, I spent the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11 remembering where I was when the first tower fell, and recalling the variety of emotions that coursed through me as the events unfolded.

To this day many of us view firefighters, police officers, and emergency response personnel—those who willingly entered hostile situations in New York City and Washington, D.C., with bravery, courage, and no guarantees that they’d emerge safely--with more reverence than we did before. And after 10 years we continue to mourn for them, the victims, and their families. (more...)

A recent survey released by Mercer LLC states that approximately one-third of U.S. workers currently are considering leaving their jobs. The company surveyed 2,400 people and reported that 32 percent of them are "seriously considering" leaving, while another 21 percent said they don't want to leave but they do view their employers negatively and do not feel engaged at work.

The dissatisfaction is higher among workers in the 25 to 34 age bracket, where 40 percent are considering a job change, which makes sense. So many young workers are struggling to find jobs, meaning they are taking whatever they can get, even if it's not their "dream" job. However, there comes a point when everyone must decide if they want to continue doing what they have to do or take a journey to pursue what they want to do.
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