TX FAME Alamo Chapter and
Its President, Leslie Cantu
By Blithe Wiley | Photography by David Teran
Manufacturing is a major industry sector in the San Antonio region, with nearly 63,500 jobs representing $1.23 billion (6.44%) of all wages paid in the region. The regional average manufacturing wage is $96,162, compared to the average regional wage of $81,592. Yet, for many K-12 students in our region, this potential career path flies under the radar.
Toyotetsu Texas Vice President of Administration Leslie Cantu is eager to play a key role in raising students’ awareness of manufacturing as a rewarding and lucrative career path. When Bexar County formed the TX FAME Alamo chapter in 2016, it partnered with five founding local companies: Toyota; Toyotetsu; H-E-B; CPS Energy; and Takata. Cantu, who has worked in the local manufacturing industry for nearly 20 years, was named Treasurer of the chapter. In 2019, she became the President of TX FAME Alamo.
“Bexar County and San Antonio have always been very committed to the regional manufacturing industry,” Cantu explained. “They realized there was a major skills gap here and sought to address it.”
According to the Manufacturing Institute, the Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) program, administered under the FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) model, leverages a work/learn model to weave technical knowledge, professional behaviors, and distinct manufacturing core exercises into a focused co-op experience.
“Today, TX FAME Alamo serves as a regional talent-development hub focused on building a modern, skilled workforce that meets manufacturers’ real needs,” Cantu explained.
“We develop a world-class talent pipeline by teaching best-in-class technical skills as well as professional behaviors. The professional behaviors taught are just as important as the technical skills and sometimes harder for employers to find.”
The Professional Behaviors emphasized in the FAME program are Attitude/Respect, Discipline/Character, Time Management, and Organization. These are taught alongside the technical skills such as electricity, robotics, fluid power, mechanics, and fabrication.
Over the course of the two-year program, AMTs in the TX FAME Alamo program will attain approximately 1,800 hours of experience, working three days a week and attending class two days a week at St. Philip’s College or Palo Alto College through FAME’s partnership with Alamo Community Colleges.
“TX FAME Alamo works with K-12 schools and students to make them aware that manufacturing is a great career opportunity,” Cantu said. “We show them what specific career paths are found in manufacturing. These include HR, Administration, IT, Quality Control, and much more. We explain to them that, once they get their foot in the door as an entry-level technician, they can move up through the company.”
“It’s important to note that the TX FAME Alamo program aligns our curriculum and training with direct manufacturer feedback. We partner closely with regional manufacturers, workforce boards, and training organizations,” Cantu said.
Cantu notes that there is a huge national push to get more women into the manufacturing workforce. “Currently, women make up only 30% of the manufacturing workforce. Even increasing this to 35% would go a long way toward filling the skills gap in manufacturing,” she said.
“This past October, Toyotetsu hosted a job shadowing day for the female students in the Southwest ISD CAST (Centers for Applied Science and Technology) STEM High School in recognition of Manufacturing Month,” she noted. “We want these young women to see firsthand the many career opportunities in manufacturing.”
In terms of making the two-year program affordable for many students who might not otherwise be able to attend, some of the partner manufacturers pay for the students’ tuition up front, while others take a tuition reimbursement approach. “The overwhelming majority of these students graduate with no student debt, hands-on experience, and most often, a full-time job upon graduation,” Cantu explained. “Educational ‘earn-and-learn’ models such as FAME remove barriers to career entry and accelerate job readiness.
“By aligning classroom learning with real‑world industry experience, TX FAME is strengthening San Antonio’s manufacturing sector and expanding opportunities for local youth,” said Adrian Lopez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Alamo. “TX FAME builds both individual futures and the long‑term economic resilience of our region.”
“The TX FAME Alamo program is changing lives for generations,” Cantu said. “This impacts families, it impacts our community, and it impacts our economy.”
