Success with ICD
Hear the success stories from ICD participants around the country and how they have used the program to benefit their life.
Success with ICD
Bring Back the Joy Professionally and Personally With Matt McIntyre
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Matt McIntyre from Local 1138 out of Leachburg, Pennsylvania became a part of the Steelworker family with no knowledge of this type of work but soon learned that this was the place for him. He thought everything was going great until ATI had a lockout and looked towards his ICD benefit for help. Listen to the rest of the Matt's story as he talks about the steps he took to ensure job security, but also found a way to use his ICD benefit personally.
Hello, everybody. We're back with another session of Success with ICD. I'm your host, Jennifer Van Dyke, and I am with a very special guest right now. I know I say that a lot, but this one actually is a very special guest because I've known him just as long as I've been on the job. But I just found out what an advocate for ICD as a person he really is. I knew he loved the program and he's been a part of the LJC and everything like that. But when we really sat down and looked at all the classes that he took, I was floored. So I got in touch with him and then said, hey, we need to get in contact right away. I need your story. And of course, he's he has always been the first person to help us with any project that we need. So instead of me introducing our special guest, I would love for him to kind of introduce himself to our podcast. Go ahead, my friend.
SPEAKER_00I'm Matt McIntyre from Local 1138 out of Leachburg, Pennsylvania. I work for the um ATI plan out of Vandergift.
SPEAKER_02And we've written a story about you already. Um, that's on our website. That was one of the first stories that I posted on our Facebook page, but you've done so much more since then. And we're going to talk about that in a little bit. What I want to start off with is how Matt McIntyre got started with ATI, with everything. So, Matt, how did you get started with being a steel worker? Is it in your blood? Is it a family thing?
SPEAKER_00So I had a um childhood friend that is uh his father worked at a Brackenridge facility, and uh we I was a contractor for Comcast. We got slow, and uh he's like, hey, you should apply here. So me and him both actually started at the uh the the mill that same day.
SPEAKER_01So you were actually with Comcast first for how many years?
SPEAKER_00Uh 10. 10 years.
SPEAKER_02Really? So you weren't like a baby coming out of high school, you were no.
SPEAKER_00I I grew up right up over the hill from our Brackenridge facility, um, but I never thought about working there. Never came to my mind.
SPEAKER_02So so no family history, no all right. So, how did the whole interview process go? How did that was it something you're like, hey, this could be something I'll stay with for the rest of my life, or were you a little unsure?
SPEAKER_00Um I I weighed my um pros and cons on some other job opportunities, but the pay was pretty good, the benefits were good. I thought it was good for my family, so I uh I planned on being here. We we still have a pension, so I um planned on being here until I can retire.
SPEAKER_02So you kind of already had that in your mind. What um what did your family think? What did your wife think of all this this big change?
SPEAKER_00So my wife actually has a uh teaching degree, she had all her certs, but then we had kids and said, hey, a little bit of overtime. Can we could we can live on that on one income? So she got to stay at home with the both kids. Um and that's 18 years ago.
SPEAKER_02So man, she was a teacher. God bless her soul. Um, I was a teacher as well, so I know I know the pains and the and the joys that go with that one. And to stay at home with kids and to kind of balance that out, that must have been a blessing to your family, especially with two kids, young kids, correct?
SPEAKER_00They're 11 and a half months apart.
SPEAKER_02So oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_00So those were back to that. They both happened in 2000 or 2007 to 2008, and that's whenever I started at the mill. So we had a lot going on in 2000, 2008.
SPEAKER_02So I was gonna say that's like one huge change after another. Um, how were the hours and everything? What what was AT ATI like back then?
SPEAKER_00Um right now I'm on on daylight, but back then I was on shifts a lot of hours. Um, but we made it work. Um, we made it work. Sometimes, I mean, I make the joke to my wife it was easier to come to work than stay at home with two young kids. I'd rather have been at home, but get a little break.
SPEAKER_02My husband says the same thing. Sometimes when he comes home to our two-year-old and he stays with him for hours at a time, he's like, Sweet Moses woman, how do you do this? And I'm like, We were just made for it. We're just better than you are. No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_00But I still remember the first time I was at home with both of them by myself.
SPEAKER_02So uh you still remember that. Was it is it a nightmare or what's going on?
SPEAKER_00I can't talk about everything that happened that day on there.
SPEAKER_02Oh, you and my husband can swap stories at the next conference. How's that? Yes, um, and how old are your kids now? One you just had graduated, so congratulations.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you. I uh we have the 17-year-old, my daughter, who is still in high school, and my son just graduated in June, and he's 18.
SPEAKER_02Wow, okay. So you have you've been there this long, your kids have grown up with this. Um, there's been a lot of changes with ATI over the past, I want to say seven, eight years. What made you stay?
SPEAKER_00Um definitely the pension, definitely, you know, we we I would say uh definitely the pension and benefits. I mean, the pay is great. Um we had some growing pains, but I I do enjoy my job and everything I do here.
SPEAKER_02So do you feel like the people that you work with have formed kind of a brotherhood because of everything you guys have gone through?
SPEAKER_00Oh, definitely, definitely. Uh you spend some lot time on the picket line together, you uh you definitely get some bonds.
SPEAKER_02You you become family. Um, are there any other ATI facilities in your area that you guys are also close with?
SPEAKER_00So I actually live closer to the Brackranch facility, but out of our local, we're amalgamated with uh the Latrobe facility and the TAS lab. Uh so we actually meet quarterly with all the presidents, um, make sure we're all on the same page with what's going on with uh other locations.
SPEAKER_02That's hard to do. How did that come about? Was it just everyone wanting to come together and and figure this out, or was it kind of forced upon you guys?
SPEAKER_00Well, when you negotiate a contract together, you've got to make sure you have the backs of the other other locals. So uh, you know, their their problems are our problems.
SPEAKER_02So it is like one big, sometimes not so happy family, but maybe happy sometimes.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02Um, all right. So you've been at ATI. What what kinds of jobs did you do during the your time at the mill? And what do you do now?
SPEAKER_00I started out uh production, so got hired to run a four truck, a ram truck, an overhead crane. Um from there, but I did that for about a year, and um the mechanical maintenance test came up. So I took the mechanical maintenance test and I did not pass. Um so I said, hey, you know, what do I gotta do to pass? Uh, you know, I I tried to take some notes on what I need to study, and that's when the ICD came in and I started taking some classes on my own to prepare me for that test. Took it a year later, passed the test, got it a mechanical maintenance job, and I worked on our slitting department for about eight years. Um, but during that time we had uh a lockout, and during that lockout, I realized that the um mechanical maintenance jobs not in a union environment don't really pay, and I wasn't looking for something long term. Uh so I said, hmm, what am I missing? It was electrical and HVAC. So I took up at our local vote, I took electrical HVAC, some welding classes from there. Uh came back, came back to work, took the um electrical maintenance test, passed that and got into our electrical department. Um, loved that job being an electrician, but uh there was one more step with the PLCs for system repairment. So I ended up uh still took some online classes and then got into the system repairment job, which I'm at now.
SPEAKER_02What made you love the electrical job so much? Because I saw a smile pop up on your face when you talked about it.
SPEAKER_00Um I was still learning, still doing stuff that uh in this job, every day you're learning, trying to figure stuff out. Troubleshooting, I do like troubleshooting. Um, when there's a problem in front of me and actually figuring out, I enjoy.
SPEAKER_02Um is that something that's always been inside of you since like a kid from your family, or is this something that kind of developed as you became a dad?
SPEAKER_00Um well, I could say whenever I was back in high school, my uh grandfather was in the IBW, and he's like, I'll get you in as electrician. And I said, It's invisible and it'll kill you. I don't want nothing to do with it, but here I am.
SPEAKER_01So I don't your grandpa knew he knew. Yeah, what changed your mind? The just the troubleshooting part, the the testing, the challenge.
SPEAKER_00I I want to say the challenging, it's it's something to keep learning and keep moving forward. Um, like I said, I I enjoy doing it. It's more troubleshooting, it's not just you know replacing parts that are wore out, is more of a hey, here's a problem, what's a solution to it?
SPEAKER_02So and how many years have you been at this current position?
SPEAKER_00Uh Sam, I think I'm working on three years on that.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So this is something, would you say this is kind of your the where you're gonna stay?
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah, there's nothing above this where I'm at in the in the mill in the union.
SPEAKER_02So what's the next step? If you're someone that always has a drive and you're someone that always looks for something to solve, what's the next thing on your horizon?
SPEAKER_00That's a great question. I haven't thought of it. Um I want to say if I got 12 more years till I get 30 years, I think I could keep learning through this process. We have the whole facility. Um definitely keep learning for this.
SPEAKER_02Okay. That's I mean, sometimes it's it's being in the situation that you're in is the future for right now. And then, you know, whenever more opportunities or something comes up, then that's what you'll tackle. Uh, you kind of talked a little bit about ICD through your process. Do you remember when you first got hired when you heard about ICD? Was it through orientation or was it a flyer?
SPEAKER_00So I believe we got the catalog, we mail them to our homes. Um, and my first class I did was the um, it was like a wood shop class, and we actually I walked in, and the guy in charge of our program, Joe Mack, was actually my guidance counselor in high school. No, standing yes, standing next to him was my shop teacher who taught the class. And I, you know, we both all looked at each other. I was like, oh no, you know.
SPEAKER_02Did you have a reputation in high school? Were they prepared for this?
SPEAKER_00It wasn't the best student. We'll just say that. That's all right. Yeah. So um, it sounds like that was my first classes that I I took, and I remember getting in the catalog, and it was like, hey, I can go do this. Uh, you know, one of the woodshop classes, we made cornal boards, which was great. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna get a you know, take this class, learn how to do this, hang out with my shop teacher and guys counselors. It's pretty good. So um from there I got involved with ICD because I'd keep going to our uh unit president and saying, Hey, I want a class on this, and he goes, Why don't you just be in charge of the program at your facility because you're doing all the work anyway?
SPEAKER_01So what um did you feel like you were was there a lot of people that were involved with ICD at the time?
SPEAKER_00So we go through, I don't want to say seasons of where we're really heavily involved and we like slack off. Um so what I did is I keep coming up with ideas, and it's not just me talking to the coworkers, saying, Hey, what do you guys want? Sometimes I even say, Hey, what do you want? And they come up with this crazy idea. I'm like, find an instructor, because I don't know nothing about that.
SPEAKER_01What's been some of the crazy classes people brought you brought to you? Do you remember?
SPEAKER_00We have been doing uh, we had a guy come to me in one of drone classes, and I knew nothing about it. Uh, end up taking the class. We was actually pretty successful from there. Um we end up taking uh uh some of them wanted their commercial license, so we actually didn't have a big interest for that, but I was like, huh, I'll take it. Why not? So I actually got my commercial drone license uh because one of our coworkers will I probably ever use it, probably not. Um, but it's there. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02You never know. That could be the next big opportunity, Matt. Yeah. So okay, so you got involved with ICD through woodworking first. You were so involved with it that they asked you to be in charge. Did your eyes kind of when you started becoming in charge of ICD, were your eyes kind of opened to exactly what ICD was?
SPEAKER_00So at first I was like, this is too good to be true. They're gonna pay for these classes. It's um it is time, you do gotta invest some time in it. And um, but I at first I was like, it, you know, yeah, we have these funds, we use them. Um, I had a co-worker, he had 39 years, he retired a year ago, but he he never took a class until this last summer. Um yeah, and that's what I said. Why aren't you you know, going to this? And he's like, I don't know, I just nothing really interested me on it, but this this topic did. So uh we and that was we got into um that was uh cooking with um outdoor pizza of it and uh sourdough.
SPEAKER_02That's that's what you end up that's what you're interested in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02The thing is, you never you never know somebody's interests until you really get to know them. How do you as a coordinator, or how did you as a coordinator find out what everyone was interested in? Because I feel like coming up with classes is the toughest part.
SPEAKER_00Um we found out about the sourdough and pizza um dough making, pizza making class through uh an open house. We had somebody come in and we said, Hey, um, he goes, Hey, I know somebody that teaches this class for the public. We're like, Well, do they want to teach it for the ICD? So we end up recruiting that person and um having those classes. And it was an awesome class because the outdoor pizza was the union hall in the parking lot with great weather, cooking outside. I mean, it was pretty good.
SPEAKER_02Was that class pretty popular then?
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah, it was a pretty good popular class.
SPEAKER_02So do you feel like part of ICB is also bringing people together as a community? That's part of the joy of a class.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, uh, just what two weeks ago there was a um fishing tournament by my house, and I ended up running into somebody from our BrackRidge facility, and they um I introduced my son. They're like, Oh no, we were in a class together, you know, for fly time class together. I was like, Oh yeah, I forgot. You guys already know each other.
SPEAKER_02So it's like the people are starting to get to know each other and kind of forming a different type of brotherhood, not just with the whole lockout parts that you guys have been a part of, but through actually enjoying life together.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02Um, I do feel like sometimes that people forget how to do that. And I C D is an opportunity to kind of bring back that joy. Um, it sounds like you've had a couple of classes that have done that. But I want to go back a little bit to the lockout because that's when you said I CD really kind of hit home for you. Um during that whole lockout situation, was that your first one that you've ever experienced? What did that feel like for you? Because some people are going through that right now.
SPEAKER_00So first you don't know what to do. You know, you're used to going to work and they're like, you you can't come to work, and you don't know what to do. So to keep my um keep me moving forward, I said, hey, this is a free chance to try something else. So I was like, we can start a new life in a different state. We actually talked about it. Uh we talked about um you know new careers where I can work. If we don't know how long this will go, but I can try something out and then pick which one I want to keep. If I want to come back to the mail, I could, or I could go stay at this new opportunity. So we actually did travel down to the Carolinas. Um beautiful lake community. I actually applied to some jobs and I did not get a single call back.
SPEAKER_02And that was it was meant to be.
SPEAKER_00And then I started looking at why. So I was looking at a little higher paying jobs, but all the um maintenance jobs I was looking at, you had to be able to do the electrical and the HVAC stuff, and I didn't have it at the time.
SPEAKER_02So is that when you started looking toward ICD of how can they get me to where I need to go?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I had the time because we were not working, which I'm so grateful that the company kept letting us use the ICD funds at that time. Um, but you know, you you have some time, it's paid for, why not? It was a perfect opportunity. So I went up to local votech, uh, did evening classes, uh, the adult ed programs, um, and it was it was great for me. Came back, and when we did come back to the mill, I already had my HVA certs, so I started doing HVAC in the maintenance department right from that day on.
SPEAKER_02Why do you think so many people kind of hold themselves back during that time? Because even though the company still let you do use the funds and you had this time, there's still some people that have that roadblock of ICD is still not for me. Why do you think that is?
SPEAKER_00Uh well, just anything. I hate making an appointment, and then you think, well, I gotta go there. Like I got Wednesday something going on, and I'm like, man, Wednesday, I really don't want to go and do do that.
SPEAKER_02I love the honesty, man. It's it's true. I mean, that could be a big part of it. What made you what made you go through with all of that then? Because it's a lot of work to take these classes, it's a lot of time.
SPEAKER_00Um, I mean, for us, I wanted the freedom of being able to go work wherever I want. I should be able to pick up and work whichever company. I should be able to pick the job that I want, not hope that I get hired. After going to the Carolinas and not getting a single call back, yeah, I said, hey, I gotta do something for me and my family, is you know. So that was your case. Uh there's there's another work stoppage, or you just want to change a life.
SPEAKER_02That is I that is right there. I don't think I could have said it any better. Um, you want to be a speaker at our next conference? Do you want to do you want to just do that?
SPEAKER_00Uh the one class I have not taken is public speaking.
SPEAKER_02Maybe you can put that on your put that on your list, all right? Um so you took you took kind of these um woodworking, HVAC, electrical, but you didn't stop there. What else have you taken with ICD?
SPEAKER_00Um, small engine was repair was huge, and it's one of those things that just at home, uh, we do live out in the country, and you know, you got the gas, we eat, or pressure, washer, lawn mower, and it definitely uh definitely helped out a lot. Between what the time and the the knowledge and the money, or just yeah, just you know, stuff at home, taking care of it instead of sending it out and having somebody else do that repair for you. It's uh and the knowledge, be able to teach the kids what you know what can be done instead of uh paying somebody else to do it.
SPEAKER_02I I love that. What else have you taken besides those classes? There's a whole list. I want to know some of your favorites.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I have to look at the list. Um we we actually got into uh uh meat smoking, um talked about all the small engine repairs. Uh we wanted to put a metal roof on the house, but I actually wanted to know more about it, so we got a class together, had a couple contractors come in and tell us, you know, uh teach us about it. So from there we um end up purchasing from a metal roof.
SPEAKER_02Well that's amazing. Um There you go. You just niped out a little bit, you're good now.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Um and then the uh you know, some of the other stuff. We went to blacksmith classings, the you know, m knife forging. Um, me and a wife has done glass blowing classes, which they pay for my portion of the class. So that's why I tell people like anything can be a class. And it's uh like I said, it doesn't have to be in the catalog. Um turn the receipt in. I never got kicked back as long as it's you know accredited school or class. According to Palace. Yeah, the new one uh Friday, we actually have our second part of our beekeeping class. So something I never would have done without the ICD. Did you see the second part of your beekeeping class? Yeah, we started this like two years ago. We did the basic beekeep beekeeping, and then this is our advanced beekeeping where we're actually going to the beekeeper's yard, um, which I do have bees now myself, but um, yes, yeah, it's pretty cool. But it's something um most hives don't make it through their first winter, and like if you look at the cost up front and the education, and I would have been I never would have done it. So what made you do it?
SPEAKER_02The ICD, it's it's paid for just the knowledge and the fact that even if you do fail, it's not it's not something that is so detrimental to you in every way. It's more like your chance to try.
SPEAKER_00What was cool about it is there's I think five of us that I didn't know they were into bees at our my my you know location. So now we kind of all hang out and do beekeeping stuff together. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02I I love that you have your own little club. When is that when is that second class? What is what is that one gonna all entail?
SPEAKER_00Uh Friday at 6 a.m. because you've got to be out there early.
SPEAKER_02So before we come into work, we're gonna go out to the 1B yard and uh and what's gonna be taught at this one, just how to harvest the honey, or um, I believe that we're gonna go over.
SPEAKER_00He has the beekeeper has some problems he wants to show us. Uh, there's a lot into it of mites. Um bees now. Um, we have a guy that actually he's having some problems with his neighbors with bees. So we did learn a lot about the townships and the laws and everything with that.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Things that you wouldn't think would be involved with beekeeping.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02The reason why that brought I kind of got excited about that class that you just mentioned is so many people have been talking about trying a beekeeping class, but they haven't found a successful instructor and they haven't found exactly how to do it. They don't know the process. So maybe this is something you and I can work together on to kind of show people this is how you do it, this is how you make it a successful class. Um you and your beekeeping crew. Maybe with you guys' t-shirts or something.
SPEAKER_00Um now the problem I'm having is bears. We're having a bear problem, but I haven't had them go after the bees, but they're very close.
SPEAKER_02We don't have that problem in Indiana, so that's something I can't relate to. Um, it sounds like you've taken classes all across the board. So it's not just it's more right now, I feel like more personal that you're kind of going after and not exactly professional.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah. So I mean there's two categories. There's the hobby side of it. Hey, I want to try this out. And like I said, anything could be a class. You start talking to some of your co-workers and realize, hey, we have an interest in this, and next thing you know, we have a class on it.
SPEAKER_02Which that is amazing. Do you think um what's the so besides beekeeping, what else have you been involved with?
SPEAKER_00Um, we just so the the instructor that taught us the um drone stuff and then the commercial license, he actually is like, hey, I am really into 3D printing. So he ended up teaching us 3D printing. From there, we got into metal detecting. And now we're talking more the GoPro editing side of action camera stuff. That's the next idea, which has we haven't had a class yet, but that's that's on the list.
SPEAKER_02Would you say, Matt, once you get started with ICD, it's hard to stop.
SPEAKER_00Definitely. I mean, that's my list.
SPEAKER_02I don't, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, my biggest problem too is I found find myself um going somewhere and talking about ICD because they think I'm like, hey, uh, we have our our drone, and they're like, How'd you get into that? And I try to start explaining ICD, and they're like, What? And um, you know, I'm like, hey, oh yeah, I'm I'm beekeeping, which beekeeping and drones don't mix. Like one of our guys told us that. That's that's not good. Um, but yeah, you start telling my story, and it always seems, you know, you're having a couple beers and you start talking about ICD, and my wife's like, Oh, here he goes again.
SPEAKER_02So which we appreciate because I feel like that gets more people excited about it. But do you think that's the block with ICD? Is that initially people just don't understand it, so then they want nothing to do with it.
SPEAKER_00That's what, yes. So I tell um I teach our new higher safety orientation, and I end up bringing up ICD throughout that week sometime, every time. Um, and usually they don't believe me. I'm like, no, seriously, every every hour money goes set aside, we have to spend it. It's um but for great stuff. Um, it doesn't have to be career driven. Like when I started saying I, you know, had meat smoking classes, they're like, what? But it's um it's great.
SPEAKER_02Which what do you think we can do better as a team to get that personal touch out there? Because not everybody has time to tell their personal story like you do, which I'm thankful for right now because this will help. But in passing, what do you think we can be doing better?
SPEAKER_00Um we have to be listening to the members because maybe I'm not maybe someone's not into beekeeping, they're into more, you know, my kids are not in the same stuff that I'm in, you know. They're they're uh my son is is into aviation. Um, you know, yeah, it's good for him. Yeah, yes. So uh, you know, he's into that, and I hate to say it he likes playing video games. I'm not into that. Uh, but you know, with today's technology and and the way other people are thinking, we just hired a kid that we taught new hire last week. He just graduated in June. His interests are gonna be totally different than mine. So we need to make sure we reach out, see what they're into, what they would like to see. And uh, like I said, sometimes they have to find an instructor because I don't even know what they're talking about, but uh go that route.
SPEAKER_02I mean, and that's that's the community of ICD, is everyone has to work together to make it profitable and not profitable, they have to make it um positive. And so I I like how you said that because I do feel like nowadays the interests, especially of the younger generation, are so different that it's hard for us to listen to what they actually want and need. And so if it's not there, they're never gonna use it, they're never gonna be interested in ICD again. So I think that's great that you made that point. Um, after that.
SPEAKER_00One thing we did was at um our open house, but we moved it to our on our plant location. So we got with permission to come over and um check out some ICD, talk to Joe Mack, talk to uh look at our catalog. Um, and idea list is what the big success for mayor. Anytime there's an idea, we write it down. Um same, you know, with my phone. When someone brings something up, I always make a note. So we go back to the meeting, I can uh bring it up.
SPEAKER_02That's amazing. And I think that's something that we all need to keep in mind. Um, besides beekeeping, what's next on your list? Your very, very long list of ICD classes.
SPEAKER_00I don't know at the moment. Let me uh I'd have to think of that.
SPEAKER_02Have you ever taken a class that you didn't like? That you knew, you know what, this isn't for me, but you're glad you still did it.
SPEAKER_00So the only thing I could say is uh I like to find instructors that maybe they're not teachers, but they do that task um on a daily basis. So there's a specialist on there. I'd rather have somebody that knows so much about this than a just a teacher that wants to teach you about that that's okay. So I mean tricks of the trade, what actually works, what doesn't work. That's what I think is a better class.
SPEAKER_02I I agree with that. And have you ever taken a class where have you ever taken a class personally where you were like, this wasn't this isn't for me, or this wasn't a good idea, or this class is just a flap?
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah, we had a solar energy class that was um read from the book. I asked the instructor, oh, do you do this on a side? And they said, no. That was just reading from the book, and yeah, so it was not a good class there.
SPEAKER_01How do you recover from a flap? How did you recover from that?
SPEAKER_00Um, I think it's just make sure you communicate with your co-workers and let them know, like, hey, it's usually not all like this. I hated it if that's their first class, but um, and then scheduling can be very hard with these classes with our shifts. Um, our B yard class, I was like, man, we gotta get 11 guys to this B yard. Our schedules are all different, but somehow we're all meeting at 6 a.m. on Friday. I don't know how it worked out.
SPEAKER_02I love that. I think that is my favorite thing that you guys are doing this at 6 a.m. in the morning.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh all together. Just bring your coffee and let's talk bees. I think that's great. Um, I think the last thing, Matt, that I want to talk to you about is if you're in the older generation or the younger generation, why do you think ICD should always be important or something that someone should try?
SPEAKER_00Um, I look at it as I was definitely not the best student in in high school. Um, but this being is something that I'm interested in, it gets me in there myself. Um for the older and younger generations. I mean, sometimes we do have a class that I think is hey, this is really simple. Do we really need a class? But maybe we're not on the same level with that. And same with the kids. If I try to teach a um use of a cell phone class to the young generation compared to the old generation, two different classes.
SPEAKER_02Completely, completely. I think that's great. Um, and the last thing is why do you think this benefit should be fought for, in your opinion? Because you've had to fight for it and you've had to, you've seen the benefit of it through a lockout. Through your eyes personally, why should this benefit be something that's important?
SPEAKER_00So the thing too, like I hate to say we have to fight for it because I feel like the company should be willing to give it, they should want it just as much as we do because their employees, their employees are getting educated, which can be used in the workplace, can be used at home. We're making people better, so why should they fight us on this? This should they should want to give this benefit to us. Um for me, it it definitely changed who I am. Like I said, I wasn't the best student. If you would put me into a classroom, try to read the book, it's it's not gonna happen. You put the hands-on, put these classes together, it really comes comes together for us. And I believe most of our workforce is like that. So you learn hands-on.
SPEAKER_02I love that. I think that's that's very well said. Um, thank you so much for your time, Matt. The fact that you've taken all these classes and we've kind of gotten a part two from you from your first story that we've promoted. Maybe we're gonna do a part three in a couple of years. Um, I appreciate everything that you've given, the wisdom, the stories, the personal aspects of it. And if anybody on this podcast has any questions for Matt, um, you can email me at jvandyck at icdlearning.org, or you can contact us on any of our social media pages. Um yeah, again, Matt, thank you so much for your time.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_02And I look forward to seeing you at the next event.
SPEAKER_00You too.
