A Manufacturing Basic Skills+ Programme
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Lockheed Martin inaugurated the Manufacturing Basic Skills+ (MBS+) programme at the newly opened Launch Career Technical Specialized Education (CTSE) Training Centre – a USD 40 million facility that represents a partnership between the City of Florence, Lauderdale County and the State of Alabama. Continue
The MBS+ programme is a joint effort between Lockheed Martin and Florence City Schools and provides high school students in their senior year with direct exposure to electronics manufacturing, preparing them for future careers at Lockheed Martin’s Courtland operations. Six seniors have been chosen to participate in the spring 2026 cohort.
“The Manufacturing Basic Skills+ Programme is a true pre-apprenticeship that lets students get hands-on with the very skills they’ll need on the factory floor,” said Reshondra McInnis, Site Director for Lockheed Martin’s Courtland location. “Our goal is to have graduates who walk in be ready, capable and confident.”
The programme builds on a three-year partnership that has already placed five students into full-time roles through Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Apprenticeship Programme (AMTAP). This year’s cohort is unique, because Lockheed Martin instructors will deliver a curriculum that dovetails with the district’s existing industrial maintenance programme.
Core modules include -
- Basic engineering drawings and point-to-point wiring
- Shop math, torque and tool familiarisation
- Electrostatic discharge control and electrical fundamentals
- Digital-multimeter safety and adhesive bonding techniques
Students who complete MBS+ are guaranteed interview opportunities with AMTAP, the Advanced Institute for Defence Technology (AIDT), or direct-hire positions at Lockheed Martin in Courtland.
Creating a Talent Pipeline
The MBS+ programme illustrates how education and industry can fuse to create real pathways for tomorrow’s workforce. The programme’s curriculum builds on core skills so that graduates arrive ready to contribute from day one.
“This collaboration demonstrates how education and business-industry working together will maximise students’ potential to produce career outcomes,” said Dr Corey Behel, Director of Career Technical and Specialised Education. “Everybody wins.”
Local and state leaders echoed Behel’s enthusiasm, underscoring how the collaboration strengthens both the community and industry.
“We are ready and poised to train Lockheed Martin employees, elevating you to go higher and faster than ever before,” said Florence Mayor Ron Tyler.
