Historically Black Drake State Community & Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama, has established a new partnership with Blue Origin, a private American space technology company founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. The partnership will prepare students at the HBCU for careers in space manufacturing through ATLAS (Advancing Training & Learning Academy for Space), a registered apprenticeship program that combines technical education with hands-on industry experience.
“Partnerships like this connect education directly to opportunity,” said Patricia Sims, president of Drake State Community & Technical College. “As Huntsville continues to grow as a center for aerospace and advanced manufacturing, we have a responsibility to ensure that members of our community have access to the skills and training these industries require. By working with Blue Origin, we are creating pathways to careers that offer economic mobility, while helping employers develop the skilled workforce they need.”
A cohort of 10 Drake State students began the ATLAS program in October. Participants divide their time between classroom instruction at the HBCU and technical training at Blue Origin’s manufacturing facilities. The curriculum covers topics such as precision management, advanced computer numerical control (CNC) programming, quality systems, and specialized materials used in space manufacturing.
“You cannot simply hire a skilled welder and expect them to build rocket propellant tanks from exotic alloys or take a CNC machinist and have them produce flight hardware with the precision required for vacuum and cryogenic environments,” said Nick Curry, Blue Origin’s early career director. “We’re creating something entirely new because the traditional pathways don’t prepare people for what we need.”
Notably, the ATLAS program provides apprentices with full-time salaries and benefits from their first day of employment. Upon completion of the program, apprentices earn nationally recognized journey worker certifications and gain pathways for continued employment and career advancement with Blue Origin.
“For Drake State, the partnership builds on the college’s work with industry to align technical education with changing workforce requirements,” said Dr. Sims. “It also demonstrates how community colleges can respond to specialized industry needs while making career opportunities accessible to residents seeking alternatives to a traditional four-year degree.”
