CSS Announces First Graduates of In-House Apprenticeship Program
Brian Mills and Jeremy Cedeno successfully completed the apprenticeship program, which was created to train enough skilled workers to increase the company’s capacity and continue its rapid growth rate. Mills qualified as a setup operator for the automatic power press while Cedeno qualified as a setup machinist in the CNC department.
Posted: March 21, 2014
Connecticut Spring & Stamping (CSS; Farmington, CT), a manufacturer of precision parts for the medical, aerospace, firearms and defense industries worldwide, proudly announces that two participants of the company’s unique in-house apprenticeship program have graduated.
Brian Mills and Jeremy Cedeno successfully completed the apprenticeship program, which was created to train enough skilled workers to increase the company’s capacity and continue its rapid growth rate. Mills qualified as a setup operator for the automatic power press while Cedeno qualified as a setup machinist in the CNC department.
Under the direction of qualified training instructors, Cedeno and Mills were trained in specific tasks that build to competencies for each position. A diverse group of twelve people are currently enrolled in the program, including six minorities and three women.
Mills, an auto power press set up graduate, says the program gave him a goal he could shoot for every day and made his job a lot more interesting. “Now that I’m done, I want to keep moving forward and make a good career for myself. I would not have had the opportunity if it wasn’t for the apprenticeship program at CSS.” Mills was recently selected to travel abroad to receive training on new equipment the company is purchasing as part of its expansion.
Newly qualified setup machinist Cedeno cites the mentorship and support offered by his training instructors and the hands-on approach that emphasized best practices as being instrumental to his success. “My training instructors started me with the basics and then we moved through intermediate and advanced skills, which all build on each other. They showed me different ways of doing things and helped me learn how to complete tasks faster and better.”
Bob Allen, CSS director of engineering, tooling and metal form, credits training instructors Ken Neilsen, Tom Giorgetti, and Mike Vanadestine, saying they did a wonderful job making sure the apprentices got the training they needed to progress through the program and gain the skills they will need for their new jobs.
“This is a great success for CSS,” said Allen. “These employees went through a program that allows us to be one step ahead of other companies, giving us a cadre of home grown technical experts who can grow the company and keep us striving to be the best in an ever changing global market place.”
Headquartered in Farmington, CSS is a manufacturer of all varieties of close tolerance precision parts for the medical, electronics, aerospace, firearms and defense industries worldwide. They provide springs, metal stampings, machined stampings & sub-assemblies for OEM’s worldwide.
In business since 1939, CSS prides itself in design and engineering involvement that starts with product development, and moves through prototyping, manufacturing, and assembly to warehousing and point of use. Headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, CSS has warehousing facilities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, China, and Singapore that allow our customers to build products with just in time (JIT) inventory.
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