The third cohort from the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Nuclear Operator Apprenticeship program graduated on Thursday, Aug. 4, after completing the Nuclear Fundamentals Certificate program at Aiken Technical College (ATC). Twenty-three apprentices participated in the eight-month Nuclear Operator Apprenticeship Program, which provides ATC students a unique learning opportunity by allowing them to simultaneously receive on-the-job training while completing their required classroom work.

Students spent two days a week receiving instruction from ATC and two days a week training at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Apprentices learned the basic qualifications of a production operator, including conduct of operations principles, radiation worker training and qualification and how to perform shift rounds. “This is the biggest class of Operator Apprentices we have graduated to date,” said SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean. “We are pleased at the success of this program and look forward to continuing this win-win arrangement into the future.”

Those graduates who meet all employment requirements will be hired at SRS and put to work in areas around the Site. The Nuclear Fundamentals Program, created in 2016 in collaboration with SRNS, prepares students for entry-level positions in the nuclear industry. The recent addition of the apprenticeship program pathway further helps to build the workforce pipeline. “Apprenticeship programs are a valuable experience for participants to get a head start on building their career,” said Dr. Forest Mahan, president of Aiken Technical College. “We are thankful for employers, such as Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, who partner with us to help build the skillsets needed in the local workforce.” The Nuclear Operator Apprenticeship Program is part of Apprenticeship Carolina™ (AC).

AC is a division of the South Carolina Technical College System, and leads South Carolina in registered apprenticeship programs that help businesses and communities thrive economically. With the guidance of AC as well as the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, the operator apprenticeship program has been registered both with the state and nationally.

For more information about the SRNS Nuclear Operator Apprentice program, contact Dorian Newton, SRNS Program Manager, Apprenticeship and Pipeline Training, at (803) 645-7665, Non-Exempt/Apprentice Recruiter Patrick Ott at (803) 679-7080, or Janessa Smith, SRNS Human Resources Specialist, at (803) 646-3538. For more information about the Nuclear Fundamentals program, visit www.atc.edu. About Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor-led company with Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site located near Aiken, South Carolina.