IEC Greater San Antonio Director of Education / Training Edward Del Toro acknowledges he didn’t really like school and always looked for ways to avoid more school yet earn a nice living. That desire changed over the years as opportunities kept appearing, people kept impacting him, and he discovered his own abilities to make a difference.
So, How Did that Work?
The first step was choosing an electrical trades program as his elective course in high school.
“I guess you could say I started my career as a high school freshman,” Ed recalls. “Like most students, I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. I had to choose an elective and decided on the electrical trades to see what that was all about.”
He found himself enjoying the class and his instructor, Mr. Callaway. The hands-on work in the labs was quite different than being in the regular classroom. Learning electrical ‘fit’ him, and both he and Mr. Callaway could see becoming an electrician was in his future. 
“Unfortunately, this was only a two-year program,” he says. “When I was heading into my junior year, Mr. Callaway and the refrigeration teacher found a way to ‘swap’ students. This allowed me to continue in electrical the next two years. I continued to learn and also helped the younger students to understand the concepts and do their labs.”
During that time, Ed continued to shine. He competed in the NEC® code test and took first place at the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) competition, which is now known as SkillsUSA. Ed then placed second in the residential wire-off competition at the school.
Upon graduation, however, he was a bit hesitant about entering the electrical trade fulltime due to concerns about having a steady 40-hour-a-week income.
“I felt — at the time — that there were downsides to being an electrician,” Ed says. “For example, when it rains, you’re not going to be able to get your 40 hours. Of course, there was the possibility of overtime but I wasn’t sure I wanted my life to be that flexible so I opted to get my electronics associates of applied science and a job at the bench repairing devices for the cable system here in San Antonio.”
After two years of too much sitting in one place at the bench, Ed wanted a change. He contacted Mr. Callaway who guided him to a local electrical contractor and a return to the industry he excelled at in high school. He continued to learn and master his skills and secured his journeyman’s license. He truly enjoyed being in the field and experiencing a variety of tasks and challenges. But his career journey was not yet complete.
“About a year after I became a journeyman, I was approached by one of the instructors at IEC Greater San Antonio,” Ed says. “He told me he liked the way I worked and that I seemed quite knowledgeable and asked me to come and teach in the chapter’s IEC Apprenticeship Program. I told him no way; I’m not a teacher.”
The instructor convinced Ed give it a try.
“I was very nervous,” he says. “It was awkward because I wasn’t really good at school. Now there I was in front of a classroom as a teacher. That’s pretty hard! But I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the students asking me questions. If I didn’t immediately know the answer, it made me research it a bit more; it made me talk to other people who may know. I began to learn more as I taught. I gained a lot of respect for the students and didn’t try to act like I knew everything. I didn’t leave them hanging either, because I always came back to them with the answers to their questions.”
Then, once again, Mr. Callaway surfaced and he suggested another opportunity for Ed. He was getting ready to retire and wanted Ed to come teach in the high school program where he had previously attended. While Ed was enjoying his teaching role at IEC, he knew teaching high school students was a ‘different animal.’
“I was a youth pastor at my church and had dealt with young students and knew what I’d be getting into teaching high school,” Ed says.
Mr. Callaway explained that things were different than the high school technical classed Ed attended. The technical classes had boomed and now the same school Ed attended was a magnet program for trades education. Most students in the magnet program wanted to be there and those who didn’t and subsequently caused trouble for the others could be directed to school counselors and removed.
“I went to visit the now magnet school and decided I could do this,” Ed reports. “In 2006, I left the industry and pursued high school education. My contractor was supportive of me and even invited me to work for him part-time in the summers, which I did.”
Mr. Callaway was not yet retired during Ed’s first year of teaching at the high school, so Ed was able to thrive with his guidance. Since he didn’t have a college degree or a teaching certification, the school put him on a three-year program to satisfy the requirements and earn his certification. Working part-time with his former contractor allowed Ed to pay for this program.
“It was kind of weird when I started teaching at the high school and having Mr. Callaway as my boss instead of my teacher,” Ed says. “Now I was a teacher in the high school I attended. A lot of my other teachers were still around. I’d see them and say, ‘Holy cow. There is my English teacher or that’s my math teacher.’ I found some things on Mr. Callaway’s shelf of old items, including plaques with my name on them. I hung them up in the shop so the kids knew I’d been where they are.”
Proud Teaching Moments
The young man who shied away from school was now totally entrenched in preparing students for their futures. He taught electrical methods, created labs, encouraged careers, and enjoyed many stories of success. But one student sticks out the most for Ed.
“I had all sorts of students that would go through the program; some of them knew they wanted to do electrical as a career and some who just wanted to see what it was all about,” Ed explains. “I had one student with special needs who struggled in school. He was really obedient, very open, and enjoyed our electrical classes. His senior year, his mom decided that they had to move across town — about 40 to 45 minutes away from the school.”
By this time, it was a magnet program and open to district students outside the geographic area. Any student could attend as long as a parent signs off on it and the student has transportation between home and school. Ed’s student was distraught and told Ed he’d likely drop out of high school if he had to leave Ed’s electrical program and move to a new high school.
“He told me that he looked forward to coming to my program, and felt comfortable being allowed to hang out in the shop during lunch,” Ed remembers. “I told him let’s see if we can figure something out.”
Ed talked with the student’s mom about some options. The student didn’t drive and the mom could not be his transportation. Ed volunteered to show the student how to take the bus.
“His mom was nervous about this and scared that he would get on the wrong buses and not know where to go,” Ed says. “I said I’d show him. I’d get on the bus with him and we’d ride together for a week or two or however long it takes for him to get comfortable to do on his own. She agreed and so that’s what I did. I woke up in the morning and went to his house. We walked to the bus stop and got on the first bus. There were two transfers that we had to do and I showed him how the bus schedule worked. It was about an hour and a half from his house to the school by the bus.”
After school, the student would come to Ed’s office. They’d walk to the bus stop and repeat the two-transfer journey back home. Ed would then get in his car and drive to his own house.
“We did that for about a week and a half and then he said to me — ‘Mr. D, I think I’ve got this.’” Ed reports. “The first time he did it I was kind of worried so told him he needed to report to me when he got to school so that I knew he made it safely. We were both pretty excited. That’s how he finished his senior year and graduated from MacArthur High School.”
Ed ran into the student about five years ago before the technical program moved from MacArthur to its new location as a full technical school. He proudly shared that he was the custodian there and that he was doing great at his job. I asked him if he drove now and he replied, ‘No sir. A car is a waste of money. You taught me how to take a bus and that’s how I get around.’ It wasn’t electrical, but I taught him skills. I taught him something to survive.”
Back to IEC
Ed is grateful for his high school teaching years and that he was in a position so many times to help students find their way. During these high school teaching years, he continued to teach first-year students in the IEC Apprenticeship Program. Before leaving the high school in 2016, he had increased his IEC teaching role to both first and third year.
“It was a win-win situation for everybody,” Ed says. “We would train young students at the high school to become electricians and once they graduated, I would hook them up with contractors and they would go on to the IEC Apprenticeship Program.”
After leaving the high school, Ed’s IEC chapter responsibilities ramped up and continued to expand into his current role as director of education / training. IEC Greater San Antonio has a core staff of four, 12 instructors, close to 450 students per year, and just over 70 electrical contractor members.
In addition to offering the heralded IEC Apprenticeship Program, the chapter puts a huge focus on continuing education for its contractor members. Special classes include journeyman prep, motor controls, conduit bending, and more. Ed is constantly on the lookout for additional training needed and he sits down regularly with his instructors to identify gaps, brainstorm teaching methods, and explore other ideas.
Like all IEC chapters, IEC Greater San Antonio is fully committed to investing in tomorrow’s workforce. In addition to the close connection to the technical high school, Ed and team members attend numerous career fairs, including the popular fair held on the rodeo grounds. He also is actively involved in SkillsUSA, with the local high school event held at the Greater San Antonio facilities.
“The SkillsUSA competitors come to our facility for the competition and I’m sure to tell them that when they leave high school, this is where they come for additional training to pursue their careers,” he states. “This is big for us and we’re always trying to find ways to do more to attract apprentices. At the high schools, we talk to the students and also to the counselors to let them know of the opportunities available besides college.”
Ed keeps his skills sharp by seeking training himself, including at the IEC Business Summit and SPARK. He also volunteers on the IEC National Apprenticeship & Training Committee and helps fellow committee member Jake Jackson with the hands-on activities for the curriculum (see story this issue). But mostly, it’s staying in touch with fellow IEC members who are passionate about training for the future.
“Like Mr. Callaway, my door is always open,” he says.