Blake McLaughlin, an ElectroMechanical Systems class graduate, went from high school student to making $25 an hour in a matter of days.

“I talked to my boss on Friday and he said, ‘When can you start?'” recalls Blake. His reply? “I graduate on Saturday so I guess I can start Monday.”

Blake graduated from the ElectroMechanical Systems course at Central Tech almost three years ago. With a strong work ethic and the drive to keep learning, he has already been promoted to Maintenance Manager at Webco Industries.

When speaking with Blake, it is evident that he loves what he does – understanding what’s wrong with a piece of equipment and figuring out how to fix it so it doesn’t do it again. Although that love wasn’t discovered until his high school years, Blake’s interest in electromechanics started as a child. “When I was growing up, I wondered how a lightbulb would come on,” he stated.

Blake’s desire to know how that lightbulb would come on was rekindled as a Mannford Public School sophomore attending the Central Tech Showcase. Touring the ElectroMechanical Systems classroom, seeing the wiring and having the ability to press buttons and make stuff happen, made him think, “How does that work exactly?” Blake knew this was the class that would teach him what he wanted to know all these years.

Blake walked away from the Showcase knowing ElectroMechanical Systems is where he wanted to be. When he started class his junior year, he wasn’t disappointed. “It’s always something new in this class. It’s always challenging. That’s why I like it,” Blake raved. And the hands-on experience in the classroom that he could then apply in the workforce was the icing on the cake.

Nearly three years later, his hunger to learn is still there. As a self-proclaimed average student, Blake says he never necessarily wanted to go to college. However, after his time at Central Tech and Webco, he has college-bound dreams of studying Electrical Engineering Technology. “I’m going to go. I want to go,” declares Blake.

As for those with an interest in ElectroMechanical Systems but fear they’re not smart enough, Blake has some encouragement. “This doesn’t necessarily have to do with intelligence. It’s just about how much work you want to put towards it. If you can read a book, you can do this class.”

Read more about the EMS program here or call us at 918.352.2551.