Workforce News

FAME—the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education—is an employer-led apprenticeship program that provides global-best workforce development through strong technical training, integration of manufacturing core competencies, intensive professional practices and intentional hands-on experience to build the future of the modern manufacturing industry. Started by Toyota in 2010 and entrusted to the MI in 2019, this proven model has steadily expanded nationwide in 17 states across 45 chapters. In 2025, that momentum carried FAME west of the Rocky Mountains for the first time, as the network welcomed its inaugural Central Valley FAME class in Fresno, California. 

This milestone was years in the making, beginning in 2021 when the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration launched the Good Jobs Challenge, a $3 billion investment in regional economic and workforce development. With direct support from the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation (FEDC) in California submitted a winning $23 million grant to bolster workforce development for manufacturing and three other industries. The MI and the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SJVMA), an employer-led industry group, were named key partners to strengthen the region’s manufacturing workforce. 

At that time, Fresno’s manufacturing community stood at a crossroads. The region had immense potential, particularly in food and agricultural manufacturing, but employers struggled to find skilled workers, with previous workforce development efforts falling short. The MI’s role wasn’t to bring a prepackaged solution but to listen, understand, and build something with the community, not for it. 

Together with the FEDC and SJVMA, the MI visited plants, spoke with managers, and mapped the community’s skills gaps. It became clear that there was a major gap in a common high demand skill set. The community needed a continuum of training and support, tailored to the region and built with employers at the center—in other words, a FAME chapter. 

The chapter’s development began as dozens of manufacturers interested in joining FAME were identified. Reedley College—a Central Valley community college that had recently launched a manufacturing training program—was chosen as the chapter’s education partner. In 2024, the manufacturers came together with Reedley College to define the exact skills they were looking for in new hires, shaping the chapter’s curriculum around their needs in alignment with FAME’s employer-led model.  

The chapter officially launched in August 2025 when student-employees began their FAME journey. As part of FAME’s structure, students split their time between Reedley College classrooms and shop floors, applying their learning in a real-world setting. 

In just a few months, Central Valley FAME’s first cohort of students demonstrated the remarkable growth that FAME is designed to deliver at every chapter. Many students entered the program at the very start of their professional journeys and quickly developed greater confidence, professionalism and a strong sense of belonging.  

“Before the FAME program, I didn’t think I could ever become a professional,” said Ismael Hernandez, a student in Central Valley FAME’s first cohort. “In my worksite or in the classroom or even at college, everyone here everyone who I’ve been surrounded by it has wanted me to succeed.” 

Even as the chapter navigated its early learning curve, students embraced every challenge, demonstrating resilience and rapid development that reflected both the effectiveness of the FAME model and their own dedication. 

“[We joined FAME because] we have always wanted to find ways to support the local community,” said Derick Beasley, Director of Operations at Lakos Filtration Solutions, a sponsoring employer of Central Valley FAME. “We also wanted to build a pipeline of quality talent, not only just for ourselves, but for people in the community. As the community and the workforce skillsets elevate, everything else around it also improves.” 

FAME was the best workforce solution for this community, but it isn’t the only solution the MI offers. The MI is designed to collaborate with manufacturers to understand how to construct durable workforce solutions adapted to local circumstances and needs. 

“We start by listening to the demand signals of the industry and following them to identify and fill the gaps,” said MI President Carolyn Lee in the 2026 State of the U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Address. “Our work is grounded in addressing the industry’s most enduring challenges: ensuring manufacturers have access to a skilled, resilient talent pipeline amid workforce shortages and rapid technological change.” 

The result is more workers in jobs, stronger companies, more resilient communities and a local economy that’s built to grow from within.