Riverbend FAME pairs employer leadership with EICC training to meet real workforce demand.
The need was evident long before the solution took shape. Manufacturers across Eastern Iowa struggled to fill industrial maintenance roles as retirements accelerated, and technology advanced.
Positions stayed open. Production slowed. Employers raised the same concern again and again.
“Workforce development consistently rises to the top of conversations with employers,” said Chris Caves of Grow Quad Cities. Regional job data confirmed industrial maintenance ranks among the most critical high-skill, high-demand roles in local manufacturing.
“These are essential jobs,” Caves said. “They are positions that keep operations running and businesses competitive.”
As those conversations deepened, EICC joined the table, meeting with employers and workforce partners to examine how existing pathways could meet real demand.
The group didn’t look for a quick fix. They looked for a model that worked.
Riverbend FAME grew out of that process. The program marks Iowa’s first chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education and places students inside the workforce while they earn an Industrial Maintenance Technician, Associate in Applied Science degree.
The structure changes the sequence. Students don’t train first and apply later. They start work immediately. Sponsoring employers hire them on day one, pay them, and rotate them between the manufacturing floor and the classroom over two years.
For EICC Chancellor Bryan Renfro, PhD, the model answers a persistent question.
“Students want to know why what they are learning matters, and employers want to see skills translate quickly into performance,” he said. “Riverbend FAME makes learning immediate, applied, and connected.”
That connection depends on alignment. Employers reviewed the Industrial Maintenance curriculum taught at EICC’s Blong Technology Center and shaped it around real operational needs.
“The curriculum is not just helpful, it’s necessary,” said Shannon Johnson of SSAB, president of the Riverbend FAME chapter. “It reflects the real skills modern manufacturing requires.”
From an employer standpoint, the model builds momentum fast.
“Manufacturers across our region face the same challenge: finding skilled, dependable talent and building a pipeline for the long term,” Johnson said. “Students finish the program with thousands of hours of on-the-job experience and the confidence that comes from doing the work, not just studying it.”
National FAME partners describe the model as one built on relevance. Students “go to school and work at the same time,” learning in context and applying skills immediately.
Renfro said EICC’s role is clear.
“Serving as the educational provider means listening closely to industry and responding with purpose,” he said. “This partnership reflects trust - between employers, educators, and students.”
Riverbend FAME didn’t arrive as a single organization’s idea. Employers named the problem. Partners shaped the response. Students will carry it forward.
How to Get Involved
Students:
Riverbend FAME is a two-year, earn-and-learn program in Industrial Maintenance Tech. Students are hired by a sponsoring employer, earn a paycheck, and complete coursework at EICC.
Employers:
Riverbend FAME is employer-led. Participating companies hire and mentor students and help shape their own long-term talent pipeline. Additional manufacturers can join Riverbend FAME.