Building the Next Generation of Manufacturers
Written by Cody Tomblin
Second-year SMART students Zacheriah Wooding and Jessica Setliff adjust tension on electrical motor system. Photo by Brock Burwell.
Second-year SMART student Wesley Grimes practices wiring electrical motor system.
Photo by Brock Burwell.
the state. To ensure this happens, Smith brought on Brandon Dennison, vice president of economic and workforce development for Marshall University.
“ I met Brandon in his role as founder and CEO of Coalfield Development and was immediately impressed with his leadership skills,” he says.“ His commitment to workforce training, deep understanding of West Virginia and the broader Appalachian culture as well as his track record of success developing innovative economic development programs and building coalitions to advance our state, were second to none.”
As manufacturers across West Virginia continue expanding and modernizing operations, the Kanawha Valley Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education( FAME) Chapter offers a proven model for aligning education directly with industry needs. The FAME program, originally developed by Toyota, combines paid employment with college-level technical education.
BridgeValley Community and Technical College serves as the education partner for West Virginia’ s only FAME chapter, working alongside regional manufacturers like Toyota West Virginia, Nucor, Niterra, ProLift Toyota, Service Wire, Armstrong World Industries, Parkline and TIMET. Students accepted into the program are hired as employees by participating companies while completing BridgeValley’ s associate degree in advanced manufacturing technology.
The program follows an earn while you learn structure, with students spending two days per week in the classroom and three days working in real manufacturing environments.
This model allows students to graduate with valuable hands-on experience, industry-recognized skills and little to no student debt. For employers, the program strengthens the local talent pipeline while improving retention and reducing recruitment risk.
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