Motivating students to master the basics in any field is a demanding task. In technical education, while the direct benefit--almost certain, well-paying employment--is obvious, the challenge is to keep students' interest high. Absent that, the technical workforce lacks skilled replenishment, and the possibility of being overtaken by competition looms large. The United States is not alone in this challenge; it is being met on many fronts. In Slovenia, secondary school technology teacher Branko Jerie has discovered that his students are highly motivated by hands-on instruction in CAD/CAM/CNC. Mr. Jerie's enthusiasm is contagious, spreading among his students, and empowering a cadre of his Central European colleagues. Mr. Jerie wanted to change the economic landscape of Slovenia by creating new jobs. CAD/CAM/CNC has already become part of the marketplace in Slovenia, and Mr. Jerie wanted his students to get a more-than-fair share of it. He saw a good thing and passed his vision along. He excited his students' imaginations and built their self esteem through individual projects and cooperation in the robotics program. Mr. Jerie epitomized the spirit of technology teaching by overcoming the obstacles in his way toward girding his students with estimable, marketable skills. Once his own program was running successfully, he replicated his outreach at home and in the international community by training teachers to excite their students with similar enthusiasm.