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Mazda Toyota Manufacturing Sees Success with MI’s FAME

By NAM NewsroomNovember 5, 2026

The Manufacturing Institute’s FAME USA program is helping Mazda Toyota Manufacturing build its own talent pipeline in northern Alabama (Axios).

What’s going on: “Manufacturing is growing and becoming more advanced. But its workforce is aging, and not enough new workers are prepared to meet demand.”

  • The Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME), the premier U.S. model for manufacturing skills training, was started by Toyota but is now run entirely by the MI, the NAM’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate.
  • At the Rocket City FAME chapter, “[c]ollege students … spend two days at school and three days at a company like MTM, giving them paid work experience alongside their education and experience for the future manufacturing workforce.”
  • FAME now has a network of nearly 50 chapters across 19 states with over 450 employer partners.

The FAME difference: “MTM pays its FAME students for a full 40-hour week with partial benefits and covers their school costs, Smith said, making the program more accessible to students who need a full-time income.”

Reaching them early: To get the next generation interested in pursuing manufacturing careers, companies must reach students before their senior year of high school, said Daniel Smith, MTM manager of central maintenance and co-chair of the Rocket City FAME program.

  • To that end, MTM has a high school–focused program, Leading Industry Growth by Helping Teachers, which provides knowledgeable instructional aides to classrooms at area schools.
  • The aides introduce students to advanced manufacturing career paths, workplace safety and various technical skills.

The big picture: FAME is also deeply invested in preparing students and manufacturing workers for AI-enabled jobs. After launching the first courses of its AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite in September, the MI signed a memorandum of understanding to offer the training across all Alabama Community College System schools, including Rocket City FAME’s partner, Calhoun Community College.

  • MI President Carolyn Lee attended a signing ceremony at CCC in September, as part of the MI’s “Training for the Future” roadshow.

Get involved: Learn more about FAME here and the AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite here.