Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) has partnered with Bishop State Community College in Mobile to offer the organization’s first-ever work-study program focused on training people in process technology.
FAME on the Coast will train workers for pulp and paper plants, chemical plants, power plants and other industries that require processes to complete the product. David Felton, dean of Applied and Career Technology at Bishop State, said the timing of this project is perfect because more companies need more highly-skilled employees.
“In this day and age with the baby boomers retiring and then also with the challenges we’ve had the last couple of years with COVID, workforce development is extremely important,” Felton said. “This is a mechanism to do that.”
Partners for this newest FAME chapter include Alabama Power, BSAF, Honda, and Hyundai. Felton said students will spend two days a week learning technical skills in the classroom, then spend three days a week working for one of the partner companies until they graduate.
“This will be a work-based learning program which gives students the opportunity to earn a living wage while they’re going to school, so when they graduate they don’t have that debt,” Felton said.
There are many FAME chapters across the country but they focus on industrial maintenance. Audrey Webb, project director of the ALAMAP Project, said this new FAME chapter is different because it will be the first to prepare workers for a career in process technology.
“The program is critical because it helps create new jobs and fill the jobs that are in need right now,” Webb said. “There are just so many job openings in this industry.”
