tED magazine recently introduced a column that was created to bring you some positive news in today’s world. It’s called “The Good Stuff”, and today we’re highlighting more of the positive news we’ve received from our members. If you have some “Good Stuff” that you would like to share with tED magazine, find out how below.
In this issue, we look at the team at City Electric Supply Alexandria, who teamed up with O.T. Hall & Son to further vocational education in the electrical field:
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia — Trade schools prepare students to take on the electrical industry. At City Electric Supply (CES), we recognize and appreciate all that they do to train the next generation of professionals. We’re proud to share that when one branch was presented with the opportunity to help, the branch went above and beyond to make it happen. It all began when CES Alexandria Branch Manager Johnathan Rodgers answered a call about Romex pricing from Joseph Wolfe, the Edison High School Electrical Construction & Engineering Instructor.
“I started asking him about the program, what they do, and how it works. I then asked if they accepted donated materials, and Mr. Wolfe replied, ‘we absolutely do,’” said Rodgers.
The next step was finding the materials to donate. Rodgers made some calls and received good news from vendor O.T. Hall & Son, who was in the process of moving offices and had some extra inventory. They didn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand, agreeing to donate materials worth nearly $7,000.
“We have a really good relationship with City Electric Supply, so when Johnathan asked us if we wanted to donate, we were happy to,” said O.T. Hall & Son Outside Sales Rep Dan Roser.
The best part is that this donation could not have come at a better time. Wolfe and his students just started learning about commercial applications, and now they have all the commercial tools and materials they need to learn it the right way.
“The students are going to get a lot of use out of the commercial-grade tools and help them enter the field and trade industry even faster,” said Wolfe. “All the companies that work with us will see that and will want to work with our students, helping them build strong, projective careers as electricians or engineers.”
One Edison High School student said, “Looking at the materials we got, there are a lot of new things to try out on the commercial side of the program, like data connection sets, which is really interesting because we haven’t had the chance to learn with those yet.”
“The donation of the pallets is an opportunity for us to learn more about the trade and all the things we need to understand everything we do in class,” another student said. “There’s a lot of hands-on experience here since we’re an electrical construction class. Everyone will be able to benefit from all the tools provided for us.”
What does this mean to those who played a role in putting this together?
“These programs show students that there are alternative paths to success,” Rodgers said. “For City Electric Supply to be a part of their growth and their knowledge is really important, because we have a direct impact on making sure these students are getting what they need to be successful.”
“This is the right thing to do with extra materials, and it only benefits the young learners today and in the future,” said Roser. “We’re just happy that this product can be used.”
As for the school, it’s exactly what they needed as they are working hard to tackle the vocational shortage by providing students with a path into either electrical construction or electrical engineering.
“We’re a job-training program, so we’re here to support students to try and help them obtain a career path,” Roser said. “It’s up to them if they want to pursue college or a trade in the field. We provide that career path for both avenues for students to decide which way they want to go.”
As a City Electric Supply branch manager, Rodgers encourages other suppliers to connect with the next generation of electricians and help whenever possible.
“Reach out to your local high schools and vocational schools,” he said. “Lots of schools don’t have the budget, so offer donations or work on pricing to get them what they need. The students count on it.”
Find more “Good Stuff” articles on tEDmag.com.
tED wants to know about your “Good Stuff”. If you work with someone who is helping other people, or a group of co-workers that’s creating better outcomes, we want to know about it.
Please send your “Good Stuff” to Online Editor, Nicky Herron at nherron@naed.org and Editorial & Web Assistant, Marie Jakle at mjakle@naed.org. Send us details, names, and photos if you have them.
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