According to news reports the Baldwin County education officials are preparing cost reports to establish an aviation training center for public high school students at the Fairhope airport. The Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a resolution to take part in the facility. Under the agreement, the board will pay the annual cost of the bond to build the $2 million facility at the Sonny Callahan Airport.
The facility will provide technical training to prepare high school students for jobs in the aviation industry, such as those expected to be produced when Airbus begins building A320 aircraft at Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex, according to the article.
Fairhope facility is planned to be open and training students beginning in August 2013. High school students will receive junior college credits for courses taken at the facility. Alan Lee, superintendent of education, said the agreement will create three new courses for students at a reduced cost. Under the agreement, Enterprise Community College will provide aviation instructors as part of the school's aircraft training center based at Brookley. Faulkner State Community College will also provide instructors in welding and industrial maintenance. The city of Fairhope's Airport Authority will provide the space for the 15,000-square-foot building. FMI: Press-Register