Volusia/Flagler, FL – After two years in the making, which included an international pandemic interruption, we are proud to announce the charter VMA FL FAME Sunshine Chapter Board met March 17, 2021 to map the course for the advanced manufacturing technician training program that will be a win for the trainees, local manufacturers and the community.
FAME (federation of advanced manufacturing education) is an employer-led two-year learn while you earn opportunity that guarantees those who finish an associate degree, a job and potentially no college debt. Originally developed by Toyota to solve its labor shortage and the lack of the soft skills so often decried by employers, the local FAME chapter will train for the skills needed locally. This program has been in operation for over ten years and is now in sixteen states. The FL FAME Sunshine Chapter will be one of the first in the state of Florida.
FAME Â is considered by many national and workforce leaders to be the best apprentice program in the U.S. These include the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute in Washington, D.C.; the National Career Pathways Network (NCPN), the largest career pathway organization in America, who recognized it as the best career pathway in the U.S. in 2013 and in 2018 designated it as the benchmark program for other career pathways to follow.
The Board members sponsor the students. The students work three days at the sponsoring companies and go to Daytona State College for two days each week.  The sponsors will pay the wages and insure they are working in areas where they can apply what they learned. The charter sponsors are ABB, Germfree, Hudson Technologies, Boston Whaler, B. Braun, Everglades Boats, Pentair and Dougherty Manufacturing.
“We hope to identify and develop a continuous stream of qualified candidates who wish to pursue a manufacturing career and grow with B. Braun,” said Pete von Lersner, Vice President & General Manager, B. Braun Medical, Inc.
“Germfree is sponsoring FAME to develop and train talented and energetic students with both the hard and soft skills necessary to take key positions in our organization and drive the future of #TeamGermfree. The FAME program is a synergistic win for students, businesses, and the Volusia community overall,” said Kevin Kyle, CEO, Germfree.
Potential students will find career development throughout the program, leading to potential employment at an advanced level, enhanced soft skills and professional practices including work attendance, initiative, interpersonal relations, teamwork, communication, and more. To be eligible for FAME, students must be 18 years of age by program start date, have a standard high school diploma or GED, be a US citizen or eligible for work in the US, demonstrate academic success as measured through grades and class rank, meet placement test score requirements and make a commitment to remaining drug-free. Go to DaytonaState.edu/FAME to apply.
Employers if you would like to join this state-of-the-art program and solve your workforce issues, contact Jayne Fifer at Jayne.Fifer@VMAonline.com.
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Featured Photo: Jayne Fifer, President/CEO Volusia Manufacturers Association
