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Spencer Lindstedt

“I’ve been working for the last two years in the pipefitting industry and have realized there’s more work for welders than pipefitters. My dad taught me to weld when I was in the fifth grade and working on a science project, but I needed to sharpen my skills to do it professionally. As a pipefitter, I’ve mostly been working on shutdowns, where we take down a part of a refinery to do repairs. 

“One thing I’ve appreciated learning in the program is the gas tungsten arc welding process; it’s something that’s used widely in the industry but that I’ve had little experience with. I’ve also learned more about stick welding, which I hadn’t done in 10 years — it’s another technique that’s widely used in the process piping industry.

“I had never worked as a pipefitter, but I took the test and made a 95 on it. I’ve been concentrating more on the welding portion of that career, but I wanted to broaden my skill sets to have more career opportunities. The more skills you can learn and do well, the more valuable you are to employers.  “Knowledge is key.” 

Spencer Lindstedt is working toward an associate degree and has taken Welding Technology courses there while continuing to do contract-term pipefitting work for various companies on a project-by-project basis. He changed careers after 19 years as an automotive technician.


Read More

Mike Walker

Supervisor of Mechanical Design Continental Electronics Corp.
“You should never stop learning in today’s world. If you do, you get left behind like the dinosaurs. Once you have knowledge, though, no one can take it away from you. The most important thing I learned is how to have the tools you need in today’s workforce.”
Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD)
Mike Reinhardt

Mike Reinhardt

Full-Time Student and Future Underwater Welder
“The instructors in the program are really great and take time to help me when I need it. I want to take every welding course I can to get the experience I’ll need for my future career: I plan to become an underwater welder and am looking at schools where I can transfer and get that specialty.”
Welding
Paul Mears

Paul Mears

Welding Artist and Business Owner Iron Art of La Jolla, Calif.
“Welding is so much fun — it’s dangerous and exciting. Dewayne Roy is one of the best instructors you could ever want. He’s not only knowledgeable in the field, but is so upbeat and willing to show you everything he can.”
Welding
Rodney Taylor

Rodney Taylor

Management Coordinator Prevost, a division of Volvo Group; Adjunct Faculty Diesel Maintenance Technician Program
“The labs I worked in at Dallas College had all of the latest equipment, and that’s what I learned on. I think that my advanced training is part of what helped me move up the career ladder; I just knew a lot more than most of my peers because of my training.”
Automotive Technology
Spencer Lindstedt
Spencer Lindstedt
Contract-Term Pipefitter
Welding
School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Updated September 16, 2025