Now That’s Class

The great end of education is to discipline your actions and furnish your mind with the unique powers of knowledge. At Compact Equipment, our key to success is our constant commitment to learning and we enjoy the challenge. When our staff recently learned that our publication was the perfect fit for a compact equipment class held at the D.C. Everest High School in Weston, Wis., we were inspired even more to produce the ideal magazine for the hungry minds of the construction and landscape industries.

John Glynn, D.C. Everest High School compact equipment teacher, explained the magazine helps keep his growing student body current and constructive.

“It is very useful to have input from leaders in the industry expressing the same key points in the magazine articles that are stressed in class to the students in regard to operation, maintenance and emerging technologies,” said Glynn. “The need for the class is evident by the good enrollment numbers and by the level of interest and involvement the students display in class. Many of our students have gone on to be employed, own and operate contracting businesses in the area.”

Students enrolled in the course have an interest in careers in the compact equipment industry, ranging from lawn care and machine operation to crew management and business ownership. Students are given the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of equipment and they complete hands-on activities, ranging from engine maintenance and repair to trouble shooting, safe operation and machine setup. With the backing of the School District, popularity of the course with students and parents, along with encouragement and support from local equipment dealers and repair businesses, D.C. Everest High School’s compact equipment class will continue to prepare young people for success in a rewarding career utilizing compact machines.

“I try to focus on skills and attitudes that will serve the students when they are in the working world, in whatever kind of career they pursue,” Glynn noted. “Things like troubleshooting, teamwork, problem solving and pride in a job well done will serve them well on any job. It doesn’t do them any good to learn the particulars of any machine because new models are produced every year, but discovering how to become a valued employee is key to getting and keeping a job in this economy.”

Like a lot of his classmates, student Landon Maatz is planning to further his compact equipment education after high school. “With the economy experiencing a slowdown and jobs being hard to find, it looks like a great time to go to get the extra education that I will need to be successful,” he said. “With a great education in the latest technology, I should be positioning myself to land a great job in the compact equipment industry.”