Earn While You Learn: A Smarter Model for Alabama’s Workforce Future

What if students didn’t have to choose between education and income? In this episode of Innovation Unplugged, Houston Blackwood and Matt Heaton sit down with AudreyWebb to explore how FAME and Registered Apprenticeships are giving students real paychecks, real experience, and real career direction—while still in school. From manufacturing floors to healthcare systems, these work-based learning models are helping students graduate workforce-ready and helping employers build loyal, skilled talent pipelines across Alabama.