Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), seven manufacturers, and Grow Quad Cities are forming a new chapter of the Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME), the first in Iowa. Grow Quad Cities Vice President of Business Retention, Expansion, and Workforce, Chris Caves, said Riverbend FAME’s focus is on a single occupation: manufacturing maintenance technicians.
“Every week, I am out meeting with manufacturers in the region, and we discuss workforce issues. And one particular occupation comes up more than most, and it is for maintenance, maintenance employees in an industrial environment,” Caves said in an interview with WVIK on Tuesday, January 27th.
She said Grow Quad Cities conducted a study last summer regarding the top 100 priority jobs, and industrial maintenance technicians were on the list.
“And our data shows the significant number of current people working in that occupation are within the window of retirement. So we know that we cannot just bury our heads in the sand,” Caves said. “We have to address this and start to promote maintenance occupations in manufacturing to young people so that they can backfill that exiting retirement-eligible labor force. We want them to hand down the knowledge that they've had for decades to a young workforce.”
The partnership will include a cohort of 12 students who will work and study the occupation, over five semesters.
“For people entering maintenance technician roles. It's an earn-and-learn model, meaning participants in the cohort training program go to class twice a week, and then they work at a manufacturer three times a week and get paid for that work,” Caves said. “So then the goal would be, after their training, that they are offered full-time employment.”
“But really the primary focus for us in the Quad Cities is we know maintenance technician roles are in high demand in manufacturing, and we needed to address that by developing a pathway into those occupations,” Caves said. She points to the Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, D.C., which took over the FAME program from car manufacturer Toyota in 2019. Caves said their foundation and guidance helped develop their local chapter.
Caves said the partnership with EICC allows students to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Maintenance Technology. The community colleges will expand word of mouth about the program through student recruiters, admissions personnel, advisors, and faculty who will promote it to their students. The program is open to those aged 18 and older with a high school diploma.
Caves added that the program is open to traditional high school graduates, as well as young adults in the workforce interested in growing their skills and finding good-paying jobs in the Quad Cities.
The current manufacturers include: Amcor Global Rigid Packaging Solutions, LMT Defense, Novelis, Oertel Metal Works, PCT Ebeam and Integration, Smith Filter and SSAB.
“This doesn't happen all the time. It's a very unique experience. But when you unite this many manufacturers around a shared goal of developing emerging industrial maintenance talent, what we're seeing, certainly in the launch of the chapter, but also in the recruitment of new students, what you're seeing is the power of collective impact. And I'm so appreciative and grateful for the. The efforts of our local manufacturers in the Riverbend chapter.”
The chapter is hosting two public sessions. The first is a virtual meeting on February 3rd at 3 p.m. over Zoom. (A link can be found in the flyer attached at the bottom of this story.) Followed by an in-person session on February 17th at 6 p.m. at the Blong Technical Center, 8500 Hillandale Rd., Davenport. The location will also serve as the classroom for the first cohort starting this fall, using industry-aligned equipment and labs.
Additional statements from attendees at Tuesday, January 27th’s announcement are below, provided by a press release sent to WVIK and other media outlets.
"What excites me most about Riverbend FAME is the experience it creates for students and employers," said EICC Chancellor Bryan Renfro, PhD, in a press release sent to WVIK. "At EICC, we talk a lot about relevance. Students want to know why what they are learning matters, and employers want to see skills translate quickly into performance. Riverbend FAME answers both. Learning is no longer delayed or theoretical. It is immediate, applied, and connected."
Local companies that have made commitments to the FAME program have seen firsthand the benefits of FAME at other locations in different regions of the country, including Novelis locations in Kentucky and Alabama – and now Davenport, according to a press release from Riverbend FAME.
“FAME gave us a proactive solution,” said Bethany Lighthall, Workforce Development Manager at Novelis, in a press release sent to WVIK. “The FAME teams have played critical roles in supporting readiness and exceeding expectations on how closely they aligned training with real-world needs.”
“We are thrilled to launch a local FAME chapter in the Quad Cities,” said Shannon Johnson-Kehoe of SSAB and Chair of the Riverbend FAME chapter, according to a press release. “This program represents a long-term commitment by employers to invest in people, strengthen our talent pipeline and ensure advanced manufacturing remains competitive in our region for years to come.”
FAME USA currently has 45 chapters nationwide, supported by more than 500 companies and serving over 1,300 students annually, according to FAME USA National Director Tony Davis. “This chapter is a great example of perseverance and engagement from local manufacturers, supported by strong community partners and a commitment from the college to meet industry needs,” Davis said in a statement shared with WVIK.
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