Transforming manufacturing: OKC FAME students shape the future of local manufacturing

To help businesses in the Greater Oklahoma City region access the talent they need to grow, succeed and sustain a national presence, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber helped establish Oklahoma’s first chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program. This national program combines academics and hands-on training to equip students with the skills needed for high-demand, globally competitive manufacturing careers.

For a unique mixture of course work and hands-on experience, OKC FAME partnered with Oklahoma State University to provide an associate’s degree for students in the program, while also partnering with a range of manufacturers including Climate Control Group, IDEX Energy – Advanced Flow Solutions and OMADA International.

In late June, eight students were honored as the first group of students in Oklahoma to join the FAME program. Then, in August, these students began their roles at their respective manufacturing companies, kicking off training sessions with experienced instructors, learning fundamental principles and gaining new techniques while enhancing skills already present.

"We're so proud of our first cohort of FAME Advanced Manufacturing Technicians (AMT's),” said Lee Copeland, Director of Talent Programs & Partnerships at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “They are blazing the way and providing proof-of-concept that an industry-driven partnership can provide best-in-class outcomes."

OKC FAME student Corbin Morris said his first week at OMADA International, an aerospace manufacturer, has opened the door to great opportunities, including “hands-on, real-life advanced manufacturing and what takes place in the aerospace industry.”

Morris chose the FAME program because of the potential experiences and opportunities to move forward in a manufacturing career. At first, he was nervous he might not be able to step up and take initiative, but OMADA International Director of Operations Jason Jentsch shared that he could not speak more highly of Morris.

“He’s come in, and he’s taken the reins, and he’s just open to learn a lot of things, from the intricate details of what certified ink to use to mark a part, to what size font use and color the part, to a complex assembly building a bulkhead for the F-35,” Jentsch said.

Before joining FAME, Morris was an airframe mechanic for the Air Force, which has been very useful for his experience at OMADA International. While Morris experienced the repairing aspect in the Air Force, he is now learning about the manufacturing side – which utilizes many of the same tools but has completely different procedures.

“I'm learning a lot more skills that I did not realize were involved in the manufacturing process and there's a lot of detail,” Morris said. “Just the attention to detail is something I've had to hone a little bit more.”

Morris and Jentsch are excited to experience what is in store for the future of the program, and manufacturing in Oklahoma. Jentsch said he highly encourages other manufacturers to get involved with the program and its students.

“I would just strongly suggest that (companies) at least get involved with some of the early meetings and figure out what the program is about and see if it is a good fit for what you’re doing. I believe that if you’re in the manufacturing industry, it’s a great fit,” Jentsch said. “I think that other businesses in the area can really benefit from young people that are hungry to learn, who will come grow their businesses and come grow the entire industry.”