FAME USA Frequently Asked Questions
FAME Program FAQs for Students
Candidates for FAME should be career-oriented, academically prepared students seeking rewarding work who thrive within highly regimented, hands-on programs and are aiming to advance quickly in their career. All participants must be college-ready high school graduates interested in pursuing a concentrated two-year, debt-free degree and looking to gain a practical set of valuable and transferable technical skills.
The ideal candidate is a college-ready high school graduate interested in pursuing a concentrated two-year, debt-free degree and looking to gain a practical set of valuable and transferable technical skills. Students must be 18 or older upon entering their first semester. FAME also accepts incumbent workers looking to change their career path and veterans who would like to work in the manufacturing industry.
AMT students will gain experience within a modern, advanced manufacturing floor environment and develop a multifaceted technical skillset. The practice areas include electricity, robotics, fluid power, mechanics, fabrication, industrial troubleshooting and more, as well as lessons that tackle the Manufacturing Core Exercises and Professional Behaviors. AMT graduates will receive an associate degree, 60-79 credit hours and 1,800 hours of on-the-job training and work experience that will launch their career as a manufacturing technician. AMTs are prepared for an accelerated career in maintenance upon graduation, but graduates seeking to continue their education can enroll in an advanced manufacturing business bachelor’s degree program that is fully aligned with FAME and delivered through our national partner Northwood University. AMT graduates can also pursue engineering or engineering technology bachelor’s degrees at the school of their choice.
Maintenance technicians play a vital role in modern manufacturing by maintaining and ensuring the machines and robotics operate efficiently. AMT Technicians typically receive starting salaries between 50,000 and 60,000 and have demonstrated salary growth year after year. They use complex problem-solving skills combined with technical knowledge such as, electricity, robotics, fluid power, mechanics, fabrication, industrial troubleshooting and more, to service and repair machines.
Manufacturing is a hands-on industry, and because of that our training does require participants to complete in-person lessons. AMT is an in-person program dedicated to preparing students for a career in manufacturing where graduates will perform in an in-person work environment.
Once you meet the requirements listed above you can contact your local chapter by visiting the FAME-USA website, choose your designated chapter and apply!
FAME Program FAQs for Employers
FAME currently has programs in 12 states and is always looking for industry partners to help expand manufacturing education opportunities to talent across the country. If you are a business leader, city official or industry association interested in starting your own chapter of FAME, contact our team at FAME@nam.org or schedule an informational session.
Candidates for FAME should be career-oriented, academically prepared students seeking rewarding work who thrive within highly regimented, hands-on programs and are aiming to advance quickly in their career. All participants must be college-ready high school graduates interested in pursuing a concentrated two-year, debt-free degree and looking to gain a practical set of valuable and transferable technical skills.
The Manufacturing Institute grows and supports the manufacturing industry’s skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing. The MI does this through diverse initiatives including FAME, a coalition of employers who work collectively to participate in and support skills training programs.
The MI is the workforce development and education partner of the NAM. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. The MI is focused on supporting and growing the skilled manufacturing workforce through initiatives and programming that inspire, educate and empower women, veterans, students and workers. The MI is also a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with resources necessary to solve the industry’s toughest challenges and grow their workforce of skilled employees. The MI is a separate legal entity from the NAM and is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Toyota is the Founding Partner of FAME. In 2019, FAME moved under the leadership of The Manufacturing Institute to gain the infrastructure and network needed to support and grow the program. Toyota still participates in FAME and uses the AMT program in its eight manufacturing locations.
FAME Program FAQs for Educators
Manufacturing today is a dramatic shift from its historical perception. Modern manufacturing provides opportunities for creators, makers and collaborators who are designing and building America’s future. On average, a career in manufacturing pays more than $84,000 a year in salary and benefits. It’s the path to a secure career, with many opportunities to progress and grow. Modern manufacturing also provides opportunities to grow into specialties, such as operations, management, technology and engineering. New jobs in modern manufacturing extend beyond shop floors and laboratories into offices, state-of-the-art tech centers and even your living room. Everything that is made needs smart thinkers and doers to invent, market, distribute and maintain revolutionary products. Modern manufacturing is what you make of it, and the opportunities are endless.
Advanced manufacturing is the use of innovative technologies in the production of material goods, relying on the coordination of information, automation, computation, software, and networking. It involves new and cutting edge manufacturing processes for existing products, as well as the production of new products from new technologies.
FAME currently has programs in 13 states and is always looking for industry partners to help expand manufacturing education opportunities to talent across the country. If you are a business leader, city official or industry association interested in starting your own chapter of FAME, contact our team at FAME@nam.org.
AMT students will gain experience within a modern, advanced manufacturing floor environment and develop a multifaceted technical skillset. The practice areas include electricity, robotics, fluid power, mechanics, fabrication, industrial troubleshooting and more, as well as lessons that tackle the Manufacturing Core Exercises and Professional Behaviors. AMT graduates will receive an associate degree, 60-79 credit hours and 1,800 hours of on-the-job training and work experience that will launch their career as a manufacturing technician. AMTs are prepared for an accelerated career in maintenance upon graduation, but graduates seeking to continue their education can enroll in an advanced manufacturing business bachelor’s degree program that is fully aligned with FAME and delivered through our national partner Northwood University. AMT graduates can also pursue engineering or engineering technology bachelor’s degrees at the school of their choice.
Maintenance technicians play a vital role in modern manufacturing by maintaining and ensuring the machines and robotics operate efficiently. They use complex problem-solving skills combined with technical knowledge to service and repair the machines quickly and effectively. As manufacturing continues to advance and the use of advanced manufacturing technology increases, the need for skilled maintenance technicians increases.
Manufacturing is a hands-on industry, and because of that our training does require participants to complete in-person lessons. However, because of the unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed, we’ve adopted a hybrid virtual and in-person approach across all of our chapters in order to keep our students and instructors safe, and continue to provide best-in-class education and training that prepares our graduates for essential manufacturing jobs.
Once you meet the requirements listed above you can contact your local chapter by visiting the FAME-USA website, choose your designated chapter and apply!
FAME USA Locations
FAME is driving the future of the manufacturing industry by building cohesive cooperatives of manufacturers to implement this proven model of skilled training.
Pick your location and apply today!