Drake State Community & Technical College is teaming up with a Houston-based nonprofit to help veterans leaving military service find training and career opportunities in North Alabama.
The college and NextOp signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday, Nov. 5, at Drake State’s Leidos Advanced Training Complex on its Meridian Street campus. The agreement will connect veterans and transitioning service members with the college’s workforce programs and NextOp’s career placement services.
Drake State President Dr. Patricia G. Sims and NextOp Alabama Regional Manager Cierra Cottman led the signing ceremony, which included business leaders, veterans and representatives from both organizations.
Cottman said she is looking forward to seeing what comes from the agreement beyond the signing itself.
“It takes a community, it takes educational partners and it takes people like you that are here today to support this initiative,” Cottman said. “Now we’re going to sign (a memorandum of understanding), and that is very exciting. But what I’m most excited about is what happens after today. It’s the veterans who get connected to an opportunity that they didn’t know existed. It’s the employers who find someone who turns out to be exactly who they needed for their organization.”
Sims said the ceremony was an opportunity to make the organizations’ shared commitment to veterans public.
“Thursday’s event was important because it’s a public display of what they already know to be a shared commitment to supporting veterans and honoring their service,” she said.
Drake State offers workforce training in several skilled trades, including electrical work, HVAC, plumbing and welding. Its workforce development department also works with businesses on customized training for industries such as aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing.
The college’s Veteran and Military Affairs office helps former and active-duty service members with education benefits, military transcripts and other resources available to students.
NextOp, founded in 2014, works with enlisted service members and veterans to help them turn military experience into qualifications civilian employers recognize. Its services include career coaching, resume assistance, interview preparation and connections with companies seeking experienced workers.
The nonprofit has already made connections with Huntsville-area employers through its Military Talent Fly-In program. In August 2025, NextOp brought 22 active-duty service members, transitioning veterans and military spouses to Huntsville for a three-day visit. The group toured Cummings Research Park and met with area employers, including Boeing and Blue Origin.
The effort continued in 2026, with companies such as L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, Leidos, Yulista, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and Torch Technologies participating in the Huntsville Military Talent Fly-In.
Cottman has previously pointed to talent retention as an important issue for the Huntsville workforce.
“Huntsville’s biggest challenge isn’t job creation — it’s talent readiness and retention,” she said in separate public comments.
The Drake State agreement adds another local resource for veterans who may need additional training or credentials before entering a civilian career. It also gives area employers another way to reach workers bringing technical skills and leadership experience from military service.
Zachary Austin is a writer for 256 Today. You can contact him at [email protected].
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