After dropping out of high school, Karim Couser earned his GED and eventually built a career in nonprofit work before taking a chance on himself to pursue the skilled trades. After months of unemployment and countless rejections, he found an opportunity through Welder Underground, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that teaches welding and fabrication through paid, hands-on apprenticeships.

In this episode of Still Building America, hosts Josh and Darla Welton talk with Karim about his unconventional career path, the impact of paid apprenticeships, his experience becoming a union sheet metal apprentice, and his goal of paying it forward by creating opportunities for the next generation of tradespeople.

Email us at podcast@fmamfg.org with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network.

Learn more about Welder Underground

Lansing Community College welding students Miki Lee and Drew Van Zee join the Still Building America Podcast to discuss ScrapFest, the annual metal sculpture competition that challenged them to turn scrap into creativity while strengthening the skills they'll carry into their welding careers.

Miki and Drew share how hands-on learning transformed their career paths, the mentors who helped shape their journey, and why they fell in love with welding. They also discuss building their team's latest ScrapFest sculpture, overcoming fabrication challenges, and collaborating with classmates to bring an ambitious design to life.

The conversation explores apprenticeships, certifications, career opportunities, and the value of learning by doing, offering an encouraging look at the next generation of welders and metal fabricators.

Email us at podcast@fmamfg.org with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network.

Handheld laser welding is everywhere right now, but is it actually the future of fabrication?

In this episode of Still Building America, hosts Darla and Josh Welton sit down with Rex Alexandre, founder of the Handheld Laser Institute and former SpaceX laser welding engineer, to separate the real-world potential of handheld lasers from the online hype.

The conversation explores how laser welding delivers fast, low-distortion welds, why small laser welds can outperform larger arc welds, where the technology still has limitations, and what fabricators need to know about safety, training, and adoption as handheld laser systems rapidly spread across manufacturing. They also talk about the exposure of handheld last welding technolgy at FABTECH.

Email us at podcast@fmamfg.org with any comments, questions, or suggestions. Find more industry-related conversations at the FMA Podcast Network.