Daytona State College’s FAME program launches fourth cohort with participation from eight regional manufacturing partners

DSC – host to Florida’s first and only chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program – showcases a successful collaboration to train highly-skilled workers

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (July 16, 2024) – Nine Daytona State College students recently signed contracts with local sponsoring companies, launching the fourth cohort of the College’s Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program.

FAME is a nationally recognized program based on Toyota’s Advanced Manufacturing Technician program. The Florida FAME Sunshine Chapter is a collaboration between Daytona State and local manufacturers designed to match students in the College’s Associate of Science in Engineering Technology program with manufacturers and career opportunities in the community. During the five-semester program, students spend two days in the classroom and three days a week working with local companies, learning on the job and being paid for their work. 

“Daytona State is the home of the first Florida chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program. It has been an incredible success and we’re celebrating the start of our fourth cohort,” said Dr. Tom LoBasso, President of Daytona State. “This partnership between the College, local manufacturers and the Volusia Manufacturing Association creates a pipeline of highly skilled workers ready to fill in-demand jobs throughout the region. FAME plays a key role in our mission to meet the educational needs of our community and the employment demands of local businesses.”

Manufacturers participating in the fourth cohort program include ABB, Alleima, B. Braun, By Light, Germfree, Sparton, Teledyne, and Thompson Pump.

Students graduate from the program with an Engineering Technology Associate Degree, specializing in Mechatronics. They also earn a nationally recognized FAME AMT certificate and finish the program with two years of hands-on work experience in high-demand fields. Graduates also complete the program with potentially zero student loan debt.

Students participating in the signing ceremony included:

• Jaymes Knight – ABB
• Fane Dacosta, Jr. – ABB
• Htin Naung – Alleima
• Tyrone McAfee, Jr. – B. Braun
• Shih Shen – By Light
• T’seanna Owens – Germfree
• Timothy Herrera – Sparton
• Brandon Perez – Teledyne
• Brian Ford, Jr. – Thompson Pump

Monday’s signing ceremony was attended by local business and community leaders including:

• Barry Cotton, Central Florida District Director for Senator Rick Scott
• Ernie Audino, District Director for Congressman Mike Waltz
• Duncan DeMarsh, Legislative Aide for Florida House of Representatives member Chase Tramont
• Volusia County Council Member At Large Jake Johansson
• Volusia County Council Member Matt Rhinehart
• Volusia County School Board member Carl Persis
• Mayor of Port Orange Don Burnette
• Former Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys
• Krista Goodrich, CEO and Director of Sales with Salty Dog Vacations
• Cassandra Gonyer, candidate for Volusia County School Board District 2

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Offering more than 100 certificates, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media, and more.

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times.