WCCD Career Tech Programs Gain Real-World Training with Cutting-Edge Modular Production System

WCCD Industrial Systems Technology instructor Steve Tice completes the setup of a new MPS system on the Dothan Campus. This state-of-the-art training platform provides students with a simulated environment that replicates modern manufacturing floors.

Wallace Community College-Dothan (WCCD) has unveiled a cutting-edge Modular Production System (MPS) that will give students a true taste of what it’s like to work inside today’s high-tech manufacturing plants.

The advanced training platform mirrors the real-world production lines used by global industry leaders and equips students with the hands-on experience that employers need.

Funded through a grant from the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Workforce Development Division, the MPS highlights the state’s commitment to preparing students for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing.

The MPS is a fully integrated system featuring robotic automation, AI-powered quality control, and advanced mechatronics. Students learn in a simulated environment that looks and functions just like modern manufacturing floors, practicing with the same type of intelligent systems used by companies such as Michelin and Nucor.

“Students aren’t just learning theory, they are operating the same AI-integrated systems, robotic automation, and intelligent machine networks they’ll encounter in the field,” said Martha Compton, WCCD Associate Dean of Career Technical Education. “That means when they graduate, they walk into the workforce already fluent in industry-standard technology.”

More than 100 students per year, including those in the Wiregrass FAME program, Industrial Systems Technology, and Electrical Technology, will now train on the system at WCCD’s Advanced Manufacturing facility in Dothan.

The MPS’s modular design ensures Wallace can update and expand the system as new technology emerges, keeping training aligned with the evolving Industry 4.0 landscape. WCCD’s long track record of maintaining similar systems for over 20 years underscores its ability to sustain this investment for decades to come.

Eight founding Wiregrass FAME industry partners—Cook’s Saw Manufacturing, Dunbarton Corporation, Flagstone Foods, Michelin Tire, Nucor Tubular Products, Rex Lumber, Smartlam North America, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms—are backing the initiative by providing apprenticeships and workforce opportunities for students.

By combining advanced, hands-on training with strong employer partnerships, WCCD is ensuring graduates are workforce-ready on day one while supplying the region with the skilled talent that drives economic growth.

For more information about WCCD’s FAME program, advanced manufacturing, and Industrial Systems Technology training opportunities, contact Martha Compton, WCCD Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education, at mcompton@wallace.edu or 334-556-6822.