Danko Arlington — MD MEP Manufacturer the Month

Danko Arlington to Grow Next Generation of Craftsmen with Revamped Apprenticeship Program

 

November 12th 2018 — Apprenticeship Week

Danko Arlington has relied on the talents of craftsmen for decades. Specializing in industrial patternmaking for both military and commercial contractors since 1920, the manufacturer was one of the first in Maryland to grow its own skilled workforce by offering apprenticeships. Over the years, Danko trained many Baltimore locals and immigrants alike as tool and die makers, skilled in making the company’s aluminum and bronze sand castings by hand.

But as the 21^stcentury arrived, bringing both new technologies and a new generation of young adults entering the workforce, Danko found it nearly impossible to maintain its now aging staff. Many of the company’s long-term tool and die makers had retired, and with the talents of metal and woodworking becoming obsolete, there were no young people with the abilities needed to replace them.

To stay ahead of its evolving industry and the defense sector’s increasing demand for critical mechanical parts, Danko introduced 3D printers to its machine shop. With the ability to now print tools and sand casts quickly and accurately by machine, the company no longer needed tool and die makers, but still found itself in search of young talent with a different skillset.

“With the onset of 3D printing, we’ve added technology to the very ancient process of metal casting,” says John Danko, president of Danko Arlington. “But now, instead of looking for young people who are just talented in making things with their hands, we’re looking for young people who can also draw on a computer. And while mechanical engineering and computer-aided design (CAD) are commonly taught in schools today, it’s still difficult to find workers with these blended abilities.”

With a need to recruit new talent skilled in both machinery and 3D printing, Danko decided it was time to revisit its apprenticeship program and once again grow the specific craftsman it was looking for from within. In order to ensure its new apprenticeship program met all regulations and captured the best talent, Danko turned to MD MEP.

“We wanted to be very careful and make sure our program was current with today’s laws, and that we implemented a standardized process, without any bias, to ensure we didn’t turn anyone away who might be qualified to work for us,” said John. “We felt the team at MD MEP were the experts and we could trust and rely on them to help us ensure our program met the national standard in 2018.”

With guidance from MD MEP, Danko created a new four-year, 8,000-hour apprenticeship program that will train workers as CNC Machinists, with skills in 3D printing, CAD, and the robotics needed to cut parts using machine tools. Apprentices will undergo a combination of hands-on training and classroom hours, which will be completed virtually using the Tooling U-SME online platform.

“As one of the first manufacturers in Maryland to ever hire apprentices, it has been an honor to work with Danko Arlington and help revitalize their program to incorporate today’s technologies and appeal to today’s worker,” said Michael Kelleher, Executive Director, MD MEP. “Throughout this process, John has taken great time and care to make sure every aspect of this program is done right, and we are confident he will see the return on his investment by attracting promising new employees who will help his company grow.”

With the framework of the new apprenticeship established, Danko and MD MEP are now in the process of creating the profile of the ideal candidate and compiling the assessment tools that will help them hire the right people for the program. Danko expects to be actively recruiting for apprentices early in 2019 and will rely heavily on outreach to Baltimore City schools to find applicants.

“We have a lot of great kids in Baltimore City, and I think we’ll be able to find a lot of eager candidates who will be perfect for our company, but people just aren’t aware of us yet,” says John. “We want to get the word out that manufacturing is fun and offers opportunities to make good wages right out of high school. At the same time, we want to emphasize to the school system how important it is to expose students to computers, programming, CAD and critical thinking in high school and even middle school, as this is the new skillset that employers are looking for across all industries.”

John is excited to see his new apprenticeship program not only create new job opportunities in Baltimore City, but to see a new generation of Danko Arlington craftsmen emerge.

“We have employees who have been with us for decades, and that is rare in today’s world,” he says. “I have always taken great satisfaction in seeing someone develop and mature and become a career employee, and I’m excited to find a new class of mechanically-inclined kids and help them apply their talents to create things using awesome new equipment and technologies. Our apprentices are going to carry on the legacy of manufacturing, just with new toys.”