Washtenaw Community College continues to strengthen the state’s advanced manufacturing workforce through its partnership with the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME).
The college welcomed its fourth cohort of 14 students to the MI FAME Mitten Chapter during a special Signing Day event on Monday, June 15. The chapter is Michigan’s only affiliate of the nationally recognized FAME program, which is administered by the Manufacturing Institute. There are more than 40 FAME chapters operating across 16 states.
“Congratulations on making this very ambitious choice,” Meg Wallace, a Senior Engineer at Toyota Research & Development North America and MI FAME chapter president, said in her address to the students. “It’ll be hard work, but it will pay off. … Education is always a wise investment and I’m so glad that you’re taking advantage of it.”
The FAME program combines classroom instruction with paid industry experience, allowing students to earn a Mechatronics-Robotics and Automated Systems associate degree while building the technical and professional skills sought by advanced manufacturing employers. The five-semester program includes three days a week at the workplace — where students complete more than 1,800 hours of paid, hands-on training — and two days of classes at WCC.
Interest in the program continues to grow. More than 40 applicants competed for the available positions in this year’s cohort.
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Washtenaw Community College was established in 1965, when Washtenaw County voters passed a millage to provide financial support for a countywide community college. WCC opened with a 6-member Board of Trustees, a newly-appointed president, and a parcel of land in Ann Arbor and Superior Townships. Classes started in September 1966 on a temporary campus at Willow Run, with 1200 students enrolled in 30 occupational programs and a transfer curriculum.
From this modest beginning, WCC has grown into one of the nation’s premier community colleges with an annual enrollment of more than 18,000 students in credit classes each year, and thousands more in Economic and College Development classes. Our diverse student body includes more than 1,000 students from 100+ foreign countries. Our 285-acre campus, operating resources, technology-enabled facilities, and instructional quality are the envy of post-secondary education institutions near and far.
