Workforce News

The Manufacturing Institute recently released a Request for Proposals inviting organizations and regions to apply for a FAME Catalyst Grant to support the creation of new FAME chapters. FAME, the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, is a multiemployer apprenticeship program producing global-best entry-level maintenance and process technicians by building the full range of skills and competencies identified as critical by employers. At each chapter, a coalition of 8–12 employers partner with a community college to deliver the program.  Learn more about FAME here. 

The MI is investing in FAME expansion because, despite the program’s proven value, establishing an apprenticeship program is hard. In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions last November, we noted that fewer than 20 percent of regions that inquire about FAME successfully launch a chapter. The upfront coordination and planning demands are simply too great for most companies or regions to overcome on their own. The FAME Catalyst Grant addresses this directly by funding a local, trusted organization to dedicate staff capacity to those efforts. 

The Catalyst Grant is designed to fill the gaps highlighted by our Senate testimony, which called on Congress to support employer-responsive intermediary organizations, invest in shared program infrastructure, and streamline the regulatory burden on employers participating in Registered Apprenticeship. 

Leveraging trust for impact: This funding opportunity targets a specific and historically overlooked type of intermediary: organizations that have established credibility with the employers in their community. In practice, that means organizations whose mission, funding or both make them directly accountable to employers, namely, local industry associations, economic development organizations, and chambers of commerce. These organizations have been largely absent from intermediary funding and technical assistance conversations, despite being among the most effective at reaching employers. Our experience in FAME has demonstrated that employer-facing organizations are extremely successful serving as the hub of an apprenticeship program and the FAME Catalyst Grant is designed to encourage more of these organizations to fill that role.  

Creating and participating in an apprenticeship program is a big investment for manufacturers and requires a significant level of trust. Investing in regional organizations that have already earned that trust offers the clearest path to scaling apprenticeships in the manufacturing sector. 

Investing in local shared infrastructure: A recent Brookings Institution report identified the key barriers employers face when considering apprenticeship, including high start-up costs, administrative burden, and the absence of an agreed-upon model. Their recommended solution was shared infrastructure. That is exactly what FAME provides.  

Through FAME USA, the MI offers an employer-directed, clearly defined model that substantially reduces the administrative burden on employers. It delivers the FAME Academy to train new chapters on how to operate the program efficiently and effectively. It conducts quality assurance reviews of existing chapters and issues three-year accreditations that confirm program quality and fidelity to the model. FAME USA manages a nationwide network of chapters to facilitate shared learning and continuous improvement. And we maintain a legacy from Toyota that anchors the program’s dual commitment to being employer-led and global-best. The FAME Catalyst Grant addresses what has remained a significant gap in this infrastructure: an investment in a local community to organize and support employers to start an apprenticeship program.   

Empowering employers to choose what works: Selected organizations and their employer partners will choose whether to operate within or outside of the Registered Apprenticeship system. As we stated in testimony, in public comments, and in policy papers, manufacturers believe the current Registered Apprenticeship system requires significant reform before it can attract broad participation. This is exemplified by the fact that only about 15 percent of current FAME students participate in Registered Apprenticeship. Providing this flexibility to grantees allows them and their employer partners to focus their energy on building the best apprenticeship program possible.  

A replicable model for investment: This is the first time the Manufacturing Institute is providing seed funding for FAME expansion. We believe it demonstrates what targeted investment in apprenticeship can look like: backing regional organizations with established employer trust, in support of developing local infrastructure to deliver a proven employer-led program model, without additional administrative burden outside of an employer’s core competencies.  

The FAME Catalyst Grant offers a practical template for apprenticeship expansion in manufacturing, one grounded in what our sector knows works.