Manufacturing Institute Signs AI Skills MOU with TSTC, Announces New Funding to Expand TX FAME Lone Star Chapter
NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – The Manufacturing Institute—the 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—and Texas State Technical College today signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding to bring the MI’s new AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite to students and employers across Texas.
The ceremony, held at TSTC’s New Braunfels campus, celebrated TSTC as an early adopter of the MI’s AI Skills Initiative, which seeks to train 40,000 current and future frontline manufacturing workers with direct access to practical, shop floor–ready AI tools by 2028. The MOU will formalize the integration of the MI’s newly released AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite into TSTC’s course materials for manufacturing students.
TSTC’s New Braunfels campus is also home to the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) Lone Star Chapter.
Originally founded by Toyota and now led by the MI, FAME is an employer-led, earn-and-learn apprenticeship model with a job placement rate exceeding 90%. With chapters across 19 states and over 450 company partners, FAME provides students with a pathway to high-paying careers as in-demand advanced manufacturing technicians. For manufacturers, it provides a durable pipeline of highly skilled workers.
As part of the day’s activities, the MI announced a $50,000 grant to TX FAME Lone Star to help recruit additional manufacturing employers and expand opportunities for students.
Together, the MOU signing and project investment to TX FAME Lone Star solidify Texas as a leader in the nation’s manufacturing economy by prioritizing skills-based training and employer-led programs that offer durable workforce pipelines as AI rapidly changes how manufacturers do their jobs.
“To maintain America’s economic leadership, we must ensure our workforce moves at the speed of technological innovation,” said MI President Carolyn Lee. “Texas is an industrial powerhouse, but capital investment alone won’t sustain that momentum—our American manufacturing workforce will if they’re trained in the right skills. By formalizing this partnership with Texas State Technical College and doubling down on our commitment to FAME, we are delivering a scalable blueprint that equips Texans with immediate AI fluency, ensuring the Lone Star State’s manufacturing economy remains on the cutting edge.”
“This partnership with the Manufacturing Institute aligns our technical education directly with the evolving needs of Texas industry,” said TSTC Chancellor Michael L. Reeser. “Integrating the AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite into our programs ensures our students gain crucial digital capabilities alongside traditional technical mastery. By providing practical, accessible training, we are giving Texas employers the agile, highly skilled workforce they need to stay competitive.”
The rollout across TSTC campuses and regional industry partners will begin immediately, delivering direct access to no-cost AI skills training for Texas manufacturers and technical students.
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Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a statewide, two-year institution focused on technical education and workforce development. Through 11 campuses across Texas, TSTC works closely with business and industry to provide training in high-demand and emerging technical fields, preparing students for skilled careers while helping meet the state’s evolving workforce needs. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
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The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for individual opportunity, community prosperity and a competitive manufacturing industry for the future. This is done through implementing groundbreaking initiatives, convening industry leaders, conducting innovative research and promoting public policy that supports the sector as it meets the opportunity of modern manufacturing. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
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