Lockheed Martin has started a new Manufacturing Basic Skills+ (MBS+) program at the Launch Career Technical Specialized Education (CTSE) Training Center in Florence, Alabama. The center is a USD 40 million project created with the help of Florence City, Lauderdale County, and the State of Alabama.
The MBS+ program works with Florence City Schools and gives high school seniors hands-on experience in electronics manufacturing to help prepare them for future jobs at Lockheed Martin’s Courtland, Alabama facility. Six senior students will join the program in spring 2026.
This program is built on a three-year partnership with Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Apprenticeship Program (AMTAP), which has already helped five students get full-time jobs. This year’s program is special because Lockheed Martin teachers will work closely with the school’s industrial maintenance program, teaching students key skills like:
- Basic engineering drawings and wiring
- Shop math and using tools
- Handling static electricity and basic electrical skills
- Safety with digital tools and adhesive bonding
Students who finish the MBS+ program are guaranteed interviews for jobs or apprenticeship opportunities at Lockheed Martin, AMTAP, or the Advanced Institute for Defense Technology (AIDT).
The MBS+ program shows how education and industry can work together to create real job opportunities. It helps students build the skills they need to start their careers immediately.
Lockheed Martin is a global company focused on defense technology, working to bring new technologies to keep the people they serve ahead of the curve.
Executive Statement
According to Dr. Corey Behel, Director of Career Technical and Specialized Education, this collaboration demonstrates how education and business-industry working together will maximize students’ potential to produce career outcomes. They are ready and poised to train Lockheed Martin employees, elevating you to go higher and faster than ever before.