Summary
Texas State Technical College’s New Braunfels campus hosted a three-day regional FAME USA training event, certifying technical faculty on core manufacturing competencies to elevate classroom instruction and strengthen industry-aligned workforce standards.
(NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s New Braunfels campus hosted a regional training event for the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) USA, bringing together faculty to complete certification on FAME’s Manufacturing Core Exercises (MCE) and Professional Behaviors curriculum.
The intensive session spanned three days, Wednesday, Sept. 2 through Friday, Sept. 4, and equipped instructors from TSTC and surrounding regional chapters with hands-on strategies to teach five core manufacturing pillars: Safety Culture, 5S/Visual Workplace Organization, Lean Manufacturing, Eight-Step Problem Solving, and Machine Reliability.
While TSTC previously hosted individual module sessions, this marks the first time the campus hosted the full, consolidated MCE training covering all core competencies in a single event.
“TSTC graciously offered to host, and they really rolled out the red carpet for these events,” said Tarina VanNatta, associate director of technical training for FAME USA. “You’re setting the standard for how a FAME chapter should function. Beyond the curriculum, there is huge value in the networking that happens as attendees share solutions to help students succeed.”
TSTC is currently preparing its fourth cohort of Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) students under the FAME program, a manufacturer-driven model that pairs classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job training at local employer partner facilities.
“The MCE training is one of the vital pillars of the FAME model,” said Jason Dinscore, TXFAME Lone Star chapter president. “Having instructors certified to convey this information well is extremely important. Better-prepared instructors lead to higher-quality student projects and better outcomes for our employer partners.”
For TSTC faculty, hosting regional colleagues provides a platform to demonstrate the impact of state-supported technical education while raising standards for classroom delivery.
“If we are going to hold these high expectations for our students, we have to know the curriculum better than they do,” said Jeremy Fannin, a TSTC Advanced Manufacturing-Industrial Maintenance instructor. “Hosting this training puts a spotlight on our campus. Getting our name out there nationwide is a huge thing for us.”
To learn more about FAME, visit fame-usa.com.
For more information about TSTC’s partnership with FAME, go to tstc.edu/txfame.