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FAME USA is revitalizing the manufacturing workforce with its global-best model of on-the-job training combined with classroom education. 

Created in 2010 by Toyota, the program was entrusted to the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education affiliate, in 2019. Since then, it has grown enormously, almost doubling in size under the MI’s stewardship.   

The past five years: FAME has scaled to more than 45 chapters across 16 states since the MI took over stewardship of the initiative—up from 20 chapters in 9 states. Employer support has grown, too, from 220 manufacturers to nearly 500 today.

• As a result of this growth, FAME boasts more than 1,300 enrolled students, 2,200 graduates and an impressive 90% employment rate upon graduation.
• And there’s much more coming soon: FAME plans to add eight more chapters by the beginning of the 2026 school year.  

Working with manufacturers: FAME offers two options for manufacturers looking for skilled workers.

• They can join an existing FAME chapter and benefit from the established employer collaborative. Or in locations where FAME doesn’t already have a presence or where the companies are building new facilities or undertaking large expansions, they can initiate a new FAME chapter to meet their greater need for talent.

General Mills: The food manufacturer was searching for more skilled workers for its Hannibal, Missouri, facility when it learned of FAME. In 2024, General Mills joined the Great River chapter in Illinois, which crosses state lines into Missouri, and committed to sponsoring five students.

• “We want the best talent at our manufacturing facilities, and we know that there’s tremendous talent in our communities. Partnering with FAME allows us to harness the talent in our local communities and get candidates excited about building a career with General Mills,” said Becky Crane, vice president, manufacturing & engineering at General Mills, during a recent panel discussion highlighting FAME.

Novelis: The leading producer of flat-rolled aluminum products and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum first partnered with FAME in 2015 through joint venture Logan Aluminum in Kentucky, as part of the SKY FAME chapter.

• “FAME provides an excellent forum for manufacturing companies in the same region to work together on providing the necessary exposure and skills to our future workforce,” said Dev Ahuja, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Novelis.
• Approximately 40 employees at Novelis are FAME graduates, and the company expects this number to grow as it expands participation across states.
• Novelis has also found success with FAME during greenfield projects. The Novelis plant in Guthrie, Kentucky, began partnering with the HOPFAME chapter in 2018 during construction of its new facility, and the company is now a founding employer of the FAME chapter in Bay Minette, Alabama, where it is constructing an aluminum plant that will create up to 1,000 jobs.

The bottom line: “FAME is not just a training program; it’s a transformative solution for employers looking to cultivate a skilled workforce that meets their specific needs. By engaging with FAME, companies can tap into local talent, foster economic growth and build a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

• “We encourage employers to join this collaborative effort—together, we can empower our communities and ensure the future of manufacturing is in America.”

Get involved: Learn more here about FAME and how you can tap into this global-best training resource. And don’t forget to follow FAME USA on LinkedIn.