(SHREVEPORT, LA) The Northwest Louisiana chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (NWLA FAME) will host a signing ceremony for the incoming class of Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) candidates at Bossier Parish Community College Wednesday May 24 at 11:30 am. The NWLA FAME chapter membership is made up of eight manufacturers, Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) as training partner and the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP). Company representatives will be on hand to officially announce the AMTs they will sponsor for the two-year work-study program.

Manufacturing partners in the chapter represent a variety of manufacturing sectors and include ADA Carbon Solutions, Benteler Steel/Tube, Frymaster, International Paper (Mansfield facility), Maxim Watermakers, Music Mountain Water, Prolec GE, and Ternium USA.

Those enrolled in the NWLA FAME Program will undertake a work/study program to earn an associate degree and certification as an Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT). NWLA FAME AMT students will attend classes at BPCC two days a week and will work 24 paid hours a week for their sponsoring employers.

“Maxim Watermakers, along with the manufacturing industry as a whole, is facing a significant challenge when it comes to finding talent skilled in maintenance, repair and fabrication,” said Millie McGrail, Quality & Safety Manager at Maxim Watermakers and NWLA FAME Chapter Chair. “For us to continue to be successful and support our future growth, we must help address this labor shortage. We see the FAME program as a proactive approach to increasing our local pool of skilled individuals capable of filling these crucial roles within our industry.”

The incoming class of AMTs is comprised of a mix of 2023 high school graduates and adults who have been in the workforce and are looking for a career change. No prior manufacturing experience is necessary to apply. The program application is open year-round, but the next class of AMTs will be selected in Spring 2024. To apply for the program, visit www.NWLAFAME.org.

“Now that our chapter is in its second year, we had enough time and focus to target our recruitment efforts on those high school seniors who were in technical training programs, particularly with a science, technology, engineering or math focus,” said NLEP COO Angie White. “Skilled maintenance technicians must be good problem solvers and critical thinkers, and they need a solid understanding of math concepts.”

The FAME model was developed by Toyota in 2010 and has since grown into a stand-alone program of The Manufacturing Institute, which supports thirty-four chapters around the country. To learn more about the FAME model, visit https://fame-usa.com/.

If you are a manufacturer or other industrial company that is interested in participating in the NWLA FAME chapter, contact Angie White at awhite@nlep.org.

Posted in Louisiana, Northwest Louisiana Chapter