Get to Know Mauser U.S. Apprentices

In August, Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT¹) hosted a graduation ceremony in Chicago to honor local apprentices who successfully completed their apprenticeships through the ICATT program. Mauser Packaging Solutions was present at the event and received recognition as a participating employer in the program.

Several of the first participants in Mauser’s U.S. apprenticeship program are set to complete their training this year and will transition into full-time maintenance roles at their respective facilities.

Explore the profiles below to learn more about some of the Mauser apprentices who have recently completed or are close to completing their apprenticeship program.

Binjamon Davis - Chicago, IL (Metals)

Binjamon Davis completed the U.S. Apprenticeship program this summer. Prior to entering the program, Binjamon was already in school for manufacturing technology. With a year left in his program, he realized the next step would be to gain experience working with high voltages through an apprenticeship. The ICATT program came to his attention along with other options, but Binjamon chose the ICATT option through Mauser to gain experience with a broader range of skills. “Other options focused solely on electrical work, but this programed offered experience with mechanical, electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics and programming,” commented Binjamon.

Prior to working with Mauser through the Apprenticeship Program, Binjamon coached for several years, conducted research at the Alder Planetarium in Chicago and was a certified IT technician while he was in school. “This was always my plan and while these other jobs helped me get through school, I eventually got more serious and focused on this as my career path.”

Binjamon feels that his experience with Mauser and the apprenticeship program has been good and has covered knowledge gaps from his education by providing exposure to things such as AC circuits and AC motors. “Through the apprenticeship program, I got to see the things I learned in school applied in the industry and in a professional setting.”

In regard to the experience working in the facility, Binjamon started working in the electrical department where he appreciated the investment other employees made in him. “There are a lot of really skilled guys over there and they taught me what professional work is supposed to look like and what is expected of me to be good at my job. I had to change myself to meet their standards, but they were happy to teach me and patient with me while I was learning.”

The things Binjamon enjoys doing changes over time. Some days he really likes doing electrical construction projects and other days he prefers troubleshooting work. Currently, he enjoys programming. “I tend to focus on things where I need improvement so I will read books to gain knowledge and look for opportunities to gain experience in those areas”.

Looking to the future, Binjamon would like to start working on combination systems that involve hydraulics and pneumatics as well as electrical and mechanical. He would also like to get more familiar with the plastics industry.

Kylani Dean - Homerville, GA

Kylani Dean began her first career with an accounting degree working in sales and marketing for a family-owned business. She soon realized that sitting behind a desk all day was not for her, so she started re-evaluating what she wanted as a career. “I’ve always had an interest in mechanical things. Growing up I would follow my uncle around as he would fix things around our houses and I would be involved in home repairs when we would move to different places, so I knew I enjoyed working with my hands,” shared Kylani.

This interest in mechanical work led Kylani to return to school for a degree insert degree name. About halfway through the program, she was introduced to the apprenticeship program at Mauser through a contact at the school. “The experience at Mauser has been really great. I am doing a complete 180-degree turnaround in my career and the team knew up front that I was new to this field and have been supportive. They have taken me under their wing and helped me learn and adapt.”

Through the apprenticeship program, Kylani has worked with a team of mechanics to cross train on all the different machines and equipment in the facility. “I like being able to implement what I am learning in the classroom. The hands-on aspect of the program fits my learning style and I feel I can better understand the concepts taught in the classroom when I put them into practice in the facility.”.

“This program requires a mutual investment. You have to show that you are willing learn and do the work. In turn the supervisors and other employees are willing to pour their knowledge and experience into you to help you grow."

Primary tasks for Kylani’s role include loading metal in machines for the operators and identifying solutions for quality or operational issues being caused by the equipment. But she has also been a part of projects and machine tear downs that help provide a deeper understanding of the equipment from the ground up. “One of the things I’ve been a part of that I’m most proud of is recently changing out the compound gun. This is usually a last resort solution and I had seen other people go through the process but this time it was just me and my team lead. I was able to find all the parts and get it put back together successful. It felt good to know I had learned from watching others and was able to do it on my own.”

In the future, Kylani would like to continue in this role and grow to become someone that others can rely on to share knowledge and solve problems. “I’ve learned a lot from the people here and I like it when others feel like they can turn to me to help with a problem or to share information I have and I just want to continue to grow in that ability.”

Matt Kozar - Chicago, IL (Metals)

Matt Kozar was the first apprentice to complete the U.S. Apprenticeship program and was hired full time as an electrician at the Chicago Metals facility in December 2023. Prior to joining the Apprenticeship Program, Matt earned a Batchelor’s degree in Criminal Justice before serving as an officer in the military. Upon leaving the military, Matt wanted to transition into a career working with his hands.

“I like working with my hands. I like building and fixing things. I wanted to pair that with my leadership experience from the military and transition into a supervisor or management role in a maintenance or manufacturing field,” Matt commented.

Finding that opportunity was difficult without work experience in the manufacturing industry. Additional education seemed like a logical next step but seemed inadequate without the opportunity to gain relevant work experience.

“That’s when I found the Apprenticeship Program and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn the technical skills and gain the practical experience to really understand how things work, and experience general manufacturing processes and management.”

While Matt prefers to be involved with projects, such as upgrading, improving and installing machines, his current role is more focused on machine maintenance and troubleshooting.

Looking to the future Matt stated, “I like the maintenance and project work in the mechatronics field. I enjoy doing the work and getting experience in this field, but my ultimate goal is to take this experience and move into a management or supervisory role. But I enjoy what I am doing and would be happy with either option.”

Reflecting on his experience in the program, Matt observed that the apprenticeship program curriculum is really good at the technical aspects of mechatronics – learning things like how to read prints, how to build cabinets – which is the core of project work. But there was a bit of a disconnect transitioning to the floor and focusing on troubleshooting and maintenance. “Once we started working on the floor, it was very apparent how important the practical aspect was. You can learn a lot in the classroom, but you can’t learn everything. There is a big difference between talking about a concept and physically working with the components in a loud and dirty manufacturing setting.”

“Getting the experience in both has been beneficial and when done the right way I think you will come out on top every time because you gain both the theory and knowledge and the practical experience.”

Eldridge Williams - Homerville, GA

Eldridge Williams spent over 5 years working for Mauser as a mechanic before beginning the apprenticeship program. Prior to joining Mauser, Eldridge worked for over 12 years as a CNC mechanic where his job responsibilities included maintenance and programming of CNC machines. The apprenticeship program provided an avenue to move into the machine shop at Mauser.

“I love machining because it combines working with your hands with a thoughtfulness and insightfulness that is needed to troubleshoot how to fix things. It requires a lot of thought. As a mechanic I can fix things but without the correct parts you are stuck. As a machinist, I can fabricate those needed parts and can work with the mechanics to provide what they need in any given situation.”

“To anyone thinking about a program like this I would say “Why not go for it’. Take a chance on learning something new. There is nothing better than with learning a new skill and bettering yourself.”

Since being in the apprenticeship program, Eldridge has been surprised at how much he enjoys the manual aspect of machining. “I had experience with CNC operation, but the Homerville facility does more manual machining. I didn’t expect to enjoy this type of machining, but I really like the problem solving and creativity that is involved with this type of work”.

Other than struggling to balance school and work responsibilities with his home and family life, Eldridge describes his time in the apprenticeship program as a “great experience” and has received support from everyone involved at the facility. “My previous supervisor was very supportive when I showed interest in this program even though it meant I would be leaving his department. The mentors I’ve worked with have been eager to share their wealth of knowledge and our HR manager has helped me figure out ways to manage family, school and work.”

Through the apprenticeship program, Eldridge feels much more prepared for a career in machining due to the in-depth exposure provided by the on-the-job training and the additional exposure to tool and dye work. “The facility portion of the program helps you learn to work outside of the box. School does a good job teaching you the basics, but you don’t always have perfect work conditions in the workplace. Through the apprenticeship you learn how to apply the concepts taught in the classroom in a real-life environment.”

“The mentors I’ve had during this program have been eager to share information and are approachable when I have questions. My primary mentor was involved in developing and making a lot of the things at this facility, but he is ready to move on to other things in retirement and I feel fortunate to be able to learn from him.”

Looking to the future, Eldridge sees the machine shop as a place where he would like to finish his career. “Every day is different because there are always new problems to solve so you don’t get bored.”

¹ICATT (Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training) is the leading apprenticeship program for manufacturers and companies with complex administration processes. It is the largest program fully benchmarked on the German Dual Education System – an approach recognized globally for its combination of company-specific knowledge, theory, and hands-on learning – resulting in highly-trained and flexible employees. The ICATT Apprenticeship Program is a joint program of the German American Apprenticeship & Education Foundation and the German American Chambers of Commerce.