Second FAME class graduates at Guilford Tech, feeding workforce to Toyota battery plant
Toyota and other local Triad manufacturing employers celebrated the second class of graduates of the North Carolina Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education First-in-Flight chapter on the afternoon of May 8.
Guilford Technical Community College is the host school for the NCFAME program, offering a two-year Advanced Manufacturing Technician program that provides students with hands-on experience with future employers alongside a formal classroom education.
In addition to Toyota, employers in the program include ABCO Automation, Procter & Gamble, Jowat Adhesives, Smurfit Westrock, and Thomas Built Buses.
Thirty students graduated from the program on Friday, and 24 of them will work at the Toyota battery manufacturing plant in Liberty.
Sebastian Ortiz will work at the Toyota plant in lineside maintenance, fixing assembly-line issues as they occur.
"So, there's production, they are making the product. And when the machine goes down, and there's a problem, we're called in to fix that problem as quickly as possible," Ortiz said.
Ortiz, 23, said when he first started the program two years ago, he had some experience working as a mechanic. He said the program taught him a lot about electrical work.
He also said the hands-on learning prepared him for his new career.
"They put me with a mentor, and I just was by him 24-7," Ortiz said. "What he did, I did."
Nicole Piggot, Director of Secondary Pathways for Guilford County Schools, spoke during the graduation ceremony and said the AMT program offered students an opportunity that most programs don't.
"It offers something incredibly valuable," Piggot said. "A debt-free degree paired with paid real-world industry experience. Think about that for a moment. While many students are wondering what comes next after high school, these students chose to step directly into a rigorous program and commitment, balancing college work at Guilford Technical Community College with paid hands-on training."
Don Stewart, president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing NC, said the program was essential to recruiting new talent to work for the automaker.
"FAME posts a graduation rate above 90% with new graduates earning a starting salary of $60,000 and earning $100,000 within five years," Stewart said.
Daniel Soto-Monter, who will work for Toyota after graduating, said there were times when he questioned if the program was the right fit.
"There were times when I wanted to give up, but because of my family, my friends that I made in the program, and the Toyota coordinators who supported us every step of the way, I'm standing here today," Soto-Monter said. "Two years ago, I wasn't sure if I belonged here. Today, I know I do."
Hayley Hart, another future Toyota employee, said it was important for women to be in male-dominated fields such as manufacturing.
"At times, the differences are very noticeable. Being surrounded by men, it's easy to feel out of place," Hart said. "There are moments where I don't fully understand the conversations or the humor, and it can feel isolating. But those challenges have pushed me to grow, to find my voice, to build confidence and to prove to myself that I belong here."
She said one experience in particular helped reassure her confidence in her abilities.
"During the first semester when I was placed in charge of my line while my maintenance team members were busy in training with only my computer for support, I successfully maintained operations for the entire week," Hart said. "That experience not only demonstrated my capability, but an important truth. At any point in our careers we can rise to the occasion and do what is expected of us."
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