Coastal Alabama Community College will host its first Built by Baldwin FAME Signing Day on Thursday, May 1, marking a major milestone in workforce development across Baldwin County.

The event, set for 4 p.m. in the college's auditorium at 450 Fairhope Ave, will celebrate the inaugural cohort of students in the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program. Known locally as Built by Baldwin FAME, the program pairs classroom instruction with paid, hands-on training designed to meet the needs of Alabama's growing industrial sector.

The FAME model, now established through Coastal Alabama Community College, allows students to pursue a career as an Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) through a two-year, employer-driven training program. Students are sponsored by regional manufacturing partners and split their time between the classroom and the factory floor, working 24 hours a week while attending classes two days per week.

Students in the program gain more than 1,800 hours of on-the-job training, with a curriculum that includes robotics, programmable logic controllers, AC/DC circuits, precision measurements, industrial wiring and machining. The program also emphasizes soft skills employers value, such as attendance, professionalism and performance.

The training incorporates manufacturing core competencies such as safety, workplace organization, LEAN principles, problem solving and machine reliability. Upon graduation, participants are positioned to fill high-demand roles in Alabama's advanced manufacturing industry.

For more information, visit www.builtbybaldwinfame.com.