James Lux could easily be the "poster boy" for the value of technical training.

"I learned 99% of what I needed to know for my first five years on-the-job from my masonry instructor at Harford Tech," says Lux. "There was practically nothing outside of class that I hadn't already encountered in Mr. Siler's class. He has his graduates well prepared. If it weren't for my technical training, I wouldn't be where I am."

In a separate interview, Siler said, "James Lux will go down in the history of my class as the best, most motivated and determined student I have ever taught."

"James gave me an 'excitement' about teaching that has never left me," Siler continued. He was the type of student that you could show one time how to do something, then he practiced it and quickly mastered it."

"He worked with me during three summers, doing foundations, additions, brick work and stone jobs. He was always the first one on the site, mixing mortar in the morning; and he was the last one to leave . . . well after sunset, making sure everything was picked up, put away and covered."

"I had James as a 9th grade rotation student (rotating through 27 entry-level trade courses). He said he was taking electricity. (Lux remembers it was drafting!) After the first week of seeing him lay some brick in my introductory masonry class, I told him he had a future in bricklaying. I said, 'You could be a state champ and go to nationals'. He transferred to my class and was a real joy to teach. After 21 years as an instructor, I have yet to see another student with his determination."

"Mr. Siler has turned out a lot of Class A students," says Lux in return. "Every year, it seems, he's had a student in the regional competitions."

After advancing to the regional contest himself at the end of his junior year, Lux, as a high school senior, was Siler's first student to advance to the national competition, at that time held in conjunction with the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, where he placed fifth in 1995.

By the time he was competing in the regional contest his senior year, Lux had three job offers . . . from judges adjudicating the contest! He sought his instructor's advice and signed-on with Whitehall Masonry, where he spent five years laying block and brick.

"Mr. Siler is really good about helping his students line-up jobs. He has a lot of contacts," says Lux.

Lux liked the work. "We built a lot of two and three story buildings. Usually, there are more details, more architectural elements on smaller buildings. They're more interesting than big, long, flat walls."

Working early, staying late, Lux was discovered on the job by Florida Rock Companies. FRC hired Lux for a general contractor position.

"I feel really lucky," says Lux. "Most general contractors come from the carpentry trade. As carpenters, they work with more different trades than most. I was lucky, too, that FRC was willing to train me for that position."

After another five years working for FRC, he was hired as a superintendent for the general contractor, Manekin Construction Co., of Columbia, Md. Typically, Manekin constructs two to four-story office buildings, banks, hospitals and the infrastructure for multi-family housing and residential land developments. The 1800's restorations are among the most interesting projects, Lux thinks.

The company has no labor force itself, coordinating and sub-contracting all the work necessary to complete a wide variety of construction projects.

"Manekin is a great company to work for. Everyone gets along great," says Lux.

In return, the vice president of construction at Manekin, Dan Sharpe, thinks highly of Lux.

"James is a great employee. He's a knowledgeable and a hard worker," says Sharpe. "He gets along great with our subs and provides good customer service. We can always count on James."

"When I hired James six years ago, we were looking for a hands-on, jack-of-all-trades kind of person," explains Sharpe. "That's just what we got in James. He has a very good grasp of the various trades."

"I wish I had a couple more of James. He has a lot of drive and a can-do attitude about him. No job is too tough for him. One way or the other, James will figure it out," concludes Sharpe.

Asked about the future of construction, Lux says, "It is getting pretty technical. When I started, it was still a lot of hammerin', sawin', runnin' wire and slingin' mud. It's much more than that now."

Lux seems a long way from his masonry roots, but that is not so.

"I lay block and brick whenever I can. It must be 'in my blood.' After bricking my friends' houses, I'm bricking my own house right now. I still have my portfolio of project photos, and I stay in touch with Mr. Siler. He often has job leads for me," Lux says.

Lux currently serves as a craft committee member at his alma mater, Harford Technical School in Bel Air, Md.

"We often talk shop," Siler says, "and we help each other with jobs these days. I am proud to say that I taught James and that we have a long-standing friendship because of it!"