A Look Inside Summit's Tool & Die Maker Apprenticeship Program

Tool & Die Maker apprentice Caleb Smith works in the Machine Shop at Summit Packaging Systems in Manchester, New Hampshire.

At Summit Packaging Systems, we’ve always believed that great people aren’t just found—they’re developed. That belief is at the heart of our Tool & Die Maker Apprenticeship Program. In celebration of National Apprentice Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting our program and the people in it. 

Developing the Next Generation of Machinists

In 2018, Summit Packaging Systems took a hard look at the future of our Machine Shop and asked an important question: How do we keep this craft alive?

Skilled trades like Tool & Die Making require years of experience to master, and the pipeline of young people entering the field has been shrinking. Summit wants to change that—at least in our corner of New Hampshire. Our Tool & Die Maker Apprenticeship Program provides an opportunity for people who are eager, curious, and willing to learn, even if they have no experience. We're working to create the next generation of machinists, rather than expecting them to magically appear, complete with the skill set we need.

How It Works

Summit’s Tool & Die Maker Apprenticeship is a federally registered program developed in partnership with LEARN NH and the Community College System of New Hampshire, with apprentices earning college credit through Manchester Community College.

The program runs for approximately four years. It includes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 570 hours of related instruction—and apprentices are paid from day one. The work itself is technical and demanding: apprentices learn to analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists’ hand tools.

It’s not just a job. It’s a career, built from the ground up. Apprentices rotate through all areas of the Machine Shop, working alongside experienced mentors at each stage. The idea is simple: learn everything, then find where you shine.

Currently, Summit has four active apprentices in the program, the maximum our current mentor capacity allows. Each one represents a deliberate investment in the future of our craft and our company.

Meet Apprentice Caleb Smith

Caleb Smith came to Summit Packaging Systems through his charter high school, Spark Academy. He is now well into his journey as a Tool & Die Maker apprentice and will complete the program in April 2027. 

Caleb is in his early twenties, and he’s already the kind of person you notice: someone who shows up, does the work, and brings energy to

everything he’s a part of. You might have even seen him representing Summit at an event or two.

Machining didn’t come out of nowhere for Caleb; it found him early. At Spark Academy, one of his favorite classes was the machine shop. He had a passion for machining, robotics, and the hands-on satisfaction of engineering work. So when Summit visited his school for a tour and later reached out about the apprenticeship, Caleb didn’t hesitate.

“Summit was one of the first opportunities I saw to engage in something I really enjoyed. And so far, I’ve loved it,” he says.

That was the beginning of a journey that now has him working alongside Summit’s full-time Machine Shop team every day—reading prints, operating machines, and rotating through the shop’s different disciplines. He’s worked in inspection, EDM, and milling, and at the time of our interview, was just getting

started on lathe work

Of everything Caleb has experienced so far, milling has been his favorite. His day-to-day might surprise people who imagine an apprenticeship as something separate from the “real work.” “It’s very similar to most people’s days back there. I go in, I get assigned prints, and I make the parts on whatever machine I’m assigned to,” he notes. “The only difference is that if I need help, I can go to my mentor or talk to other people. And everyone is really open

to helping,” Caleb adds.

That support system has meant everything to his development. Caleb describes having experienced mentors in his corner as feeling like a “safety net.” “If I accidentally mess something up, I know I have someone to go to who’ll help me get out of that hole. It takes a lot of stress off,” he explains.

Caleb also admits the environment surprised him—in the best way. He came in expecting something more formal and rigid. What he found instead was a team that trusts its people, gives them room to learn, and meets them where they are.

As for where Caleb is headed, his answer says a lot about the kind of thinker he is. “I’d like to use this experience of making parts to design parts. That way I don’t have that experience gap of not knowing how to machine what I’m designing,” he says

And when asked what he’d say to someone considering the apprenticeship? Caleb doesn’t oversell it. He just lays it out plainly, with the kind of clarity that comes from experiencing it: 

“It’s a really good opportunity. Having your school paid for is great. Being able to learn these machines is a really valuable experience,” he says, noting that with technology advancing so quickly in AI and automation, there aren’t many opportunities to engage in this type of hands-on learning with mentor support. “So having an opportunity like this is invaluable,” he adds.

Why It Matters

Apprenticeships like this one are good, obviously for apprentices, but also for Summit and the city of Manchester. When we invest in someone’s career, we’re not just filling a seat in the Machine Shop; we’re helping build a person’s future. And when that person grows and thrives and stays here, everyone wins.

Learn More About Our Apprenticeship Program

To learn more about the Tool & Die Maker Apprenticeship Program at Summit Packaging Systems, please reach out to Donna Daneke, Director of HR, at SPSTalent@pm.me or call (603) 669-5410, ext. 156.

Summit Packaging Systems is proud to be an equal opportunity apprenticeship employer.