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What began as a company’s last-minute decision to join the Alabama FAME Shoals Chapter has grown into one of the chapter’s strongest employer partnerships. Today, Constellium, an aluminum manufacturer with a plant in Muscle Shoals, sponsors 35 Advanced Manufacturing Technicians (AMTs) and has hired 35 graduates full-time, creating a reliable talent pipeline as experienced employees retire. 

What is FAME: FAME, the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, is the premier American model of manufacturing skills training. Managed and supported by the Manufacturing Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers’ 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, FAME helps manufacturers develop a pipeline of highly skilled AMTs. 

• FAME students complete a rigorous full-time earn-and-learn program where they attain associate degrees, attending classes at their partner community college two days a week while working for their sponsoring employer three days a week. 

Building a talent pipeline: In 2019, Constellium recognized that upcoming retirements would create critical workforce gaps.  Although initially skeptical, Constellium decided to join the AL FAME Shoals chapter after learning about the chapter’s first signing day. 

• Kim Sizemore, Maintenance & Reliability Training Manager, selected three students who had yet to be sponsored. They excelled in the program and two of them are still with Constellium today and have advanced to supervisors. 

Growing and retaining: Following the proven success of the first cohort, Constellium quickly expanded its FAME footprint. They sponsored about 10 students in each subsequent cohort before increasing to 25 students in the latest class, bringing their total active AMTs to 35. 

• According to Sizemore, 90% of Constellium’s sponsored students stay after graduation. She credits that success to intentionally placing graduates in roles aligned with their interests and long-term career goals. 

• As Constellium’s investment in FAME grew, so did Sizemore’s. She now serves as President of the AL FAME Shoals chapter. 

The FAME difference: FAME graduates are multi-skill technicians with electrical and mechanical skillsets. Previously, Constellium hired separate technicians for each discipline, but now FAME simplifies and strengthens their floor operations in addition to filling workforce gaps. 

• The impact extends beyond the shop floor. FAME gives individuals the opportunity to build rewarding careers in their communities and earn competitive wages. 

• For Sizemore, the value of FAME is clear: “It’s a win for the employer, the FAME chapter and the community all together.” 

The last word: “The FAME model works best when employers like Constellium go all-in, investing real time and leadership the way Kim and her team have,” said Tony Davis, FAME USA National Director. “That kind of commitment is what builds sustainable talent pipelines.”  

Get involved: Visit FAME USA’s website to learn more about how manufacturers and educators can get involved with FAME. Also explore this Q&A with Tony Davis to learn more about how the FAME model operates.