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Mark Carron has been surrounded by metal most of his life. The certified welding inspector and Local 36 instructor worked alongside his father in the family garage from an early age. The skills he built in welding, drawing and fabrication restoring old cars and motorcycles prepared him for apprenticeship.
Mark joined Local 36’s apprenticeship program on Jan. 8, 2003, and he worked for Lyon Sheet Metal for almost 17 years, specializing in food and medical-grade welding. He was among a select group of the Lyon’s team invited to craft specialty thin-gauge stainless steel in several far-flung locations including Thailand.
Mark began teaching night classes in welding at Local 36 in 2015, and four years later, he joined the staff as a full-time welding instructor. He also teaches AutoCAD, math and drafting.
Mark loves teaching, especially “The 'ah-ha' moment. When you have been working with an apprentice and can see the moment when everything clicks and they understand the task at hand."
He tells his students, "Learn everything you can! Knowledge is one thing no one can take away from you."
When he’s not in the classroom, Mark is still working on cars and motorcycles in his home garage fabrication shop.
Ben Hacket began his career as a sheet metal apprentice at Local 36 more than 16 years ago. During his apprenticeship, he worked with Lyon Sheet Metal where he learned measuring, layout, fabrication and welding. Along the way, he spent years installing duct systems in the field. Later, Ben added testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) certification to his tool belt and worked as a TAB technician for Mechanical Analysis Systems Testing. Ben also earned certifications as a fire damper technician and an indoor air quality technician.
Ben joined the JATC staff as a part-time welding instructor for night classes in 2023. After two years, he took on the role of full-time instructor.
Ben’s top tip for new sheet metal apprentices is to “be aware of your surroundings, it’s a dangerous line of work,” he said. “Be willing to learn from your co-workers. Don’t think that you already know everything."
Ben said being a union sheet metal worker is rewarding and demanding work that combines physical labor with mental flexibility. His favorite tools are his sheet metal calculator, his brain and his ruler: “Accurate measurements are essential in this trade," he said.
Jason LaChance has been a union sheet metal worker for almost three decades. His experience in the field includes commercial HVAC, industrial, welding, detailing and testing, adjusting and balancing. Over his years as an apprentice and journeyperson, he’s worked with several St. Louis companies and served as foreman, general foreman, welder, balancer and detailer.
Jason began his teaching career in 2018 and found it a fulfilling mission. He believes a solid grounding in math is essential for sheet metal workers who want to excel, and he’s observed the growing role technology plays in the industry.
His advice to apprentices is often to relax. “Frustrated people stop learning,” Jason said. “Settle down, take a deep breath, and go on.”
In addition to his OSHA 500 cards in 1910 General Industry and 1926 Construction, Jason holds a long list of certifications: TABB Supervisor, TABB Technician, Fire and Smoke Damper Supervisor, Fire and Smoke Damper Technician, Smoke Control Supervisor, Fire and Smoke Damper Technician, Smoke Control Supervisor, Smoke Control Technician, Indoor Air Quality Supervisor, Indoor Air Quality Technician, Fume Hood Technician, Sound and Vibrations Supervisor, and Commissioning Supervisor.
A graduate of Ranken Technical College, Jason Northcutt has more than 20 years of experience in the sheet metal industry and joined Local 36 in 2016. As a service technician for Vogel Heating and Cooling, Jason specialized in all aspects of HVAC service, including controls, ventilation verification for indoor air quality (VVIAQ) and testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB). He holds certifications in TAB and VVIAQ.
Jason became a full-time instructor in 2022, and says teaching provides him with new challenges every day. He’s up for these challenges, and feels that passing his knowledge on to future sheet metal workers so they can succeed is a great way to give back to his fellow members.
Despite — or perhaps because of — his past adventures racing motocross and street bikes, safety is a priority for Jason. He urges apprentices to listen carefully and observe all safety precautions. His advice to those new to the industry is, “take one thing at a time, and you can accomplish anything.”
Birk Tinker finished his apprenticeship at Local 36 in 2012 and then spent most of his career as a welder and installer. Prior to becoming an instructor, he worked in the architectural, industrial and commercial sectors of the sheet metal industry, where his time on jobsites ranged from large-scale new construction projects to smaller projects such as tenant renovations.
A certified welding inspector (CWI) and OSHA outreach trainer, Birk began teaching evening welding classes and OSHA at Local 36 in 2018, then became a full-time instructor in 2023. He enjoys getting to know the apprentices he instructs, and says sheet metal workers of tomorrow should understand that new technology doesn’t mean you skimp on learning traditional skills.
“We need to remember how to keep the hand layout skills that we used before computers alive,” he advised. Other than that, he tells apprentices to be honest, own your mistakes, show up on time and learn something new every day.
