With the month of February celebrating Career and Technical Education, it seemed appropriate for the Electrical Construction/ Maintenance (ECM) students to hear some motivational and informative talks about the construction trades.

Integrated Math Instructor Mr. Stofko spoke to the ECM students about the importance of integrating Construction Math with their electrical construction/maintenance instruction.In preparing for a future in their trade, the student's instruction consist of about 33 percent bookwork and 66 percent hands-on experience.To add to and re-enforce what Stofko and ECM Instructor George Cope are trying to instill in their students, George F. Hayden, President of George J. Hayden Inc., a large electrical construction and communications company, spoke to both electrical construction and carpentry students.Hayden gave a solid hard-hitting motivational and instructional talk to the students intended to reinforce the fact that math is also a very important part of their job and out in the real work world you need all of this and more to be successful.He told the assembled students that what he wants in his employees is something that he described using the acronym - "DACS" which he explained stands for :D Desire you have to want it, if you don't want something, you're never going to get it set goals.A Attitude - a good attitude will make your and other's lives better.C Courage - you must be able to stand up to your peers such as when they may say let's stay out all night and party instead of studying or going to work.S Strength keep yourself physically fit, eat right, exercise and you'll feel stronger and think better.This, he said, will make them a great student, a great worker, a great parent, and make them great at everything they do in life.If you want to work for him, you must have "DACS"!Hayden added that his company does everything from the smallest little doorbell job to large multi-million dollar jobs and his employees must be dependable.Attendance is important. If you're absent a lot from school you can't be depended on to show up for work regularly and as his technicians work in teams, if one is missing its very disruptive to the job that they are working on.Academics are important and while all "A"s may be good, what he really looks for in an employee is a good attitude that's what's important.He went on to tell the students that the electrical field today is dynamic and changing with green technology generating "renewable energy" such as such as wind, solar, and geothermal.This is the direction our country is going towards with everyone thinking green today.As an example, right there in the school technical area, he pointed out the overhead lights in the ceiling noting that they have had reflector kits installed on them which saves approximately 35 percent on energy costs for the school.He added that our country has only touched the tip of the iceberg with green energy. We need to develop new products. Solar panels have come very far in development over just the last two years.In some parts of Europe 45 percent of the power generated is from renewable energy, while in our country we're not even generating 3 or 4 percent in that way.Renewable energy is growing every year offering a promising future to those in the field of energy such as the ECM students.Hayden finished his visit with the students with a question and answer session followed by an invitation to stop by his business site in Hazleton to see among other things a new solar installation being installed there.