When Milton Davis began an apprenticeship at a Ford Motor Company plant in Ypsilanti in April 1973, manufacturing technology was beginning to change.
Numerical control machining — an early form of computerized manufacturing — was becoming increasingly important in American industry, and Ford needed employees who knew how to work with the emerging technology. Washtenaw Community College helped provide that training.
For Davis, a Vietnam veteran and U.S. Marine, it marked the beginning of a lasting connection with WCC, one that would eventually take him from student to instructor.
His military service remains an important part of his life today. Now retired, Davis operates the Milton J. Davis Military Museum in Manchester.
But in 1970, when Davis returned from military service, his immediate concern was finding work. After hearing from his brother that Ford was hiring, he returned to Michigan and began working in production at the company’s Ypsilanti plant. He later took an apprenticeship test and, after briefly working as a union carpenter, was offered a Ford apprenticeship in 1973.
Previously, Ford apprentices from the area had to travel to Dearborn for training. But as WCC expanded its technical programs, employees gained the opportunity to receive training closer to home.
When Ford began preparing workers for numerical control machining, the company partnered with WCC to bring instructors directly to the Ypsilanti plant. They taught employees the concepts behind numerical controls and how to program and operate the machinery.
Davis and several of his coworkers decided they wanted to take their education further and earn associate degrees. Along with their technical coursework, they took additional classes, including professional writing, to complete their degrees.
For Davis, WCC offered more than just technical skills.
“When you come to WCC, you’re taking classes because you want to, and that's a motivating factor to want to get and be better,” Davis said.
Davis credits his education with teaching him not only how to operate increasingly sophisticated machinery, but also the discipline to become a better and more productive employee.
Eventually, Davis found himself on the other side of the classroom, as an instructor.
After completing their education, Davis and several classmates helped teach the next group of Ford employees learning the technology. Davis became a WCC employee and class assistant, working his regular eight-hour shift at Ford before staying to help teach employees coming in for the next shift.
His experience reflected the close relationship between WCC and local industry. Workers learned new skills through the college and brought that knowledge directly back to their workplace, sometimes even becoming instructors themselves.
Davis remained with Ford until retiring in October 2000. During his career, he watched both manufacturing and prospects inside the industry evolve.
Davis first arrived in Washtenaw County as an elementary school student, living near Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti and attending church in Willow Run. He remembers watching WCC's campus being built, and would later return to the college for additional classes, including engine repair.
Decades after first learning through WCC and later helping teach others, Davis still views the college as an important part of the community.
To him, Washtenaw Community College is an asset to Washtenaw County, providing generations of students and workers with opportunities to learn, advance and pass their knowledge on to others.