Like many Baltimore residents, Roger is capable and motivated, yet experienced difficultly finding quality work. Unable to afford college, and recently laid off from a Baltimore charter school that closed, he had little sense of where to turn. Scared, frustrated, and lacking a plan, his brother’s Instagram post eventually led him to MND for MTDL Training. Roger knew very little about the Port of Baltimore, despite the fact that he had lived in Baltimore all his life. Yet, the promise of a good job was all he needed to jump into the industry with both feet.
After successfully completing the MTDL training class in January 2016, MND connected Roger with a ‘survival job’, transporting cars for the Mercedes Benz’s Baltimore Vehicle Processing Center. Roger saw this as a stepping stone and continued to take full advantage of MND’s ongoing services, which he cites as critical to his success. Roger enrolled in MND’s Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) certification program in the summer of 2016. This six month online training course and certification exam is designed to help individuals become experts in current import regulations, allowing them to administer complicated customs processes necessary for the importation of goods transiting Baltimore’s port facilities. MND covered all costs for this training course and exam, as well as providing weekly instruction and study support. Through these support sessions, Roger came into contact with his future employer, transport and logistics specialists John S. Connor, Inc.