Drake State Partners With NextOp to Aid Veterans
The Huntsville college and the Houston-based nonprofit will connect transitioning service members with workforce programs and career placement.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military Jobs
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Drake State Community & Technical College signed a memorandum of understanding with NextOp on Thursday, November 5, at its Leidos Advanced Training Complex on the Meridian Street campus. The agreement links veterans and transitioning service members with Drake State's workforce programs and NextOp's career placement services.
Why it matters
The partnership gives veterans in the Huntsville area a more direct route from military service into civilian training and employment in fields such as electrical work, HVAC, plumbing and welding. Drake State President Dr. Patricia G. Sims said the ceremony was an opportunity to make the organizations' shared commitment to veterans public.
NextOp brought 22 active-duty service members, transitioning veterans and military spouses to Huntsville for a three-day visit in August 2025, a visit the extraction does not compare against any prior year. The memorandum does not report a target enrollment or placement figure, and the extraction does not say how many veterans will be served.
The players
Drake State Community & Technical College
A public two-year college in Huntsville, Alabama, that offers workforce training and veteran education support.
NextOp
A Houston-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that helps veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find civilian careers.
Patricia G. Sims
The president of Drake State Community & Technical College who led the signing ceremony.
Cierra Cottman
The Alabama regional manager for NextOp who participated in the signing ceremony.
The details
Drake State offers workforce training in electrical work, HVAC, plumbing and welding, and its workforce development department provides customized training for aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing industries. Its Veteran and Military Affairs office helps service members with education benefits and military transcripts, while NextOp offers career coaching, resume assistance, interview preparation and connections with companies seeking experienced workers.
Timeline
August 2025: NextOp brought 22 service members to Huntsville for a three-day visit.
2026: Companies participated in the Huntsville Military Talent Fly-In.
Thursday, Nov. 5: Drake State and NextOp signed the memorandum of understanding.
Military Jobs Context
The agreement follows NextOp's August 2025 Huntsville visit, which brought 22 service members, veterans and spouses to the city for a three-day tour of local employers. The 2026 Huntsville Military Talent Fly-In, in which L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, Leidos and other defense employers took part, shows the same pattern of linking transitioning service members to Huntsville's defense industry.
Veterans and transitioning service members in the Huntsville area can contact Drake State's Veteran and Military Affairs office about education benefits and military transcripts. The partnership's career placement services run through NextOp, so service members can pursue both college training and job connections at the same time.
The takeaway
Veterans considering a move into skilled trades or defense manufacturing can pair Drake State's training programs with NextOp's job placement support. Combining the two may shorten the path from separation to steady civilian work.
Further reading
For more on veteran employment in the region, see Huntsville Military Jobs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 256 Today.
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