SHREVEPORT, La. — Applications are open for the 2027 class of Northwest Louisiana FAME, a two-year program that combines college coursework with employment to train industrial maintenance technicians for regional manufacturers.
The Northwest Louisiana Chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education will host an open house from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Bossier Parish Community College. The event will take place in Building L, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, where prospective applicants can learn about the program and meet sponsoring employers.
Students attend classes at BPCC two days a week and work for a sponsoring employer three days a week. Graduates earn an Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering Technology with a concentration in industrial maintenance, along with industry-based certifications.
The chapter’s nine sponsoring manufacturers are Benteler Steel/Tube, Bienville Lumber Co., CertainTeed, Frymaster, GE Vernova, Kronospan, Omni Specialty Packaging, Pratt Paper and Ternium USA. Several employers sponsor current students and employ program alumni.
Three classes have graduated since the chapter launched in 2022. The program is a partnership among the manufacturers, BPCC and the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, which serves as administrator. According to NLEP, it is the only FAME chapter in Louisiana.
Toyota founded FAME in 2010 to develop a pipeline of skilled maintenance technicians. The program became part of The Manufacturing Institute in 2019.
Prospective students can apply or learn more at NWLAFAME.org.