Workforce News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 25, 2025) – Today, the Manufacturing Institute, the 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, announced Amatrol as an official sponsor of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education USA.

FAME USA, an initiative of the MI, is the premier American model of manufacturing skills training, developing highly skilled, professional and sought-after talent to meet the unique needs and challenges of modern manufacturing. Amatrol is a globally recognized leader in technical education, providing critical certification, training equipment and continuing education materials to educational institutions and manufacturers—and is the exclusive FAME Training Equipment and Content sponsor for the Advanced manufacturing, Industrial Maintenance and Smart Manufacturing space. The new partnership brings two industry-leading institutions together to advance workforce readiness and upskilling as the sector embraces artificial intelligence and the Manufacturing 4.0 revolution.

“The Manufacturing Institute’s mission is building and strengthening the manufacturing workforce, and FAME USA is a key part of fulfilling that mission. Manufacturers will need to fill 3.8 million jobs by 2033, and half of those are expected to go unfilled because we don’t have the people with the right skills,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

Lee continued, “Through the partnership with Amatrol, we’re creating a clear pathway for FAME USA chapters to access top-tier training resources—whether ensuring new chapters start with great equipment from day one, or giving existing chapters the opportunity to strengthen and expand their training programs as needs evolve.”

The MI and Amatrol both recognize the great need in today’s U.S. advanced manufacturing sector for highly skilled technicians and the potential for FAME USA to play a major role in filling this need. This partnership allows both organizations to leverage their strengths to bolster high-skilled manufacturing training across the U.S.

“Most importantly, this will allow us to work more cohesively with instructors throughout the FAME initiative and help them be more successful,” said Amatrol President Paul Perkins.

Under this partnership, Amatrol will continue its Diamond Sponsorship of the FAME National Conference while extending its support to the MI’s Workforce Summit as a Gold Sponsor.

BACKGROUND

FAME USA, originally created by Toyota, is an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute. It provides a global-best apprenticeship-style training program where students earn while they learn, gaining top-tier technical expertise by integrating core manufacturing competencies, professional practices, and authentic hands-on experience.

-MI-

The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce. Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. 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.

-Amatrol-

Amatrol is the world leader in skills-based technical learning. We produce hands-on training equipment, extensive interactive eLearning curriculum, and virtual training systems for technical subjects from basic electrical and fluid power to advanced Industry 4.0 topics in PLCs, automation, and networking. Our products are used by high schools, colleges, universities, and industry throughout the world.