Zavier Myles Went From Odd Jobs to a Third-Year Manufacturing Apprenticeship

SECOND SHIFT · FROM THE FIELD

Oakland County, Michigan · Advanced manufacturing · Pre-apprenticeship

From the reporting archive · Original report: September 14, 2026 · Kimberly Gill, WDIV Local 4

After high school, Zavier Myles worked odd jobs without a clear direction. He was doing dishes when his mother called about a free, five-week pre-apprenticeship program at Oakland Community College, WDIV Local 4 reports.

Now 28, Myles is a third-year apprentice at ANCA in Wixom, where he configures high-tech grinding machines to customers’ specifications. He told WDIV that when he started, he had a lot of doubt and didn’t know the difference between a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver.

His mother, Tamara Myles, directs Oakland80, an initiative that helps residents get the education or credentials they need for careers. She told WDIV she saw the program as a way for him to get paid and go to school at the same time. Her role is worth noting: she pointed him to the program and also speaks for it in the story.

The report does not give his pay or say when he expects to finish his apprenticeship.

A five-week on-ramp is a small investment next to a multiyear apprenticeship, and it can decide whether someone starts at all. Manufacturers that connect short pre-apprenticeships to paid apprenticeships are building their own bench of skilled workers.

Read and watch the original reporting at WDIV Local 4 →

Second Shift tells the stories of people building what’s next through new skills, new careers and second chances. From the Field items are curated from credited reporting, with Location Decision’s perspective. Location Decision Originals are independently reported by our team.

Curated by Location Decision. Originally reported by Kimberly Gill, WDIV Local 4, September 14, 2026.

This item was sourced and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed under Location Decision’s editorial standards. Second Shift tracks workforce outcomes to inform our broader editorial analysis. All reporting belongs to the credited journalists; read the original story for the full account.