AIKEN, S.C. (January 18, 2024) — The largest group of apprentices have started their journey to become production operators for the Savannah River Site (SRS)’s Liquid Waste contractor.
Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) recently hired 59 production operators to join the Liquid Waste mission at the Savannah River Site through the Production Operator Apprenticeship Program, a partnership with Aiken Technical College to train new operators part-time onsite and part-time at the college. SRMC President and Program Manager welcomed the new apprentices on January 8, 2024.
Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) welcomed nearly 60 new participants to its Production Operator Apprenticeship Program this month. This is the third and largest cohort of students to be enrolled since joining the apprenticeship program in January 2022. As part of the program, the group will attend Aiken Technical College (ATC), part-time, while enrolled in ATC’s Nuclear Fundamentals Certificate program.
For the next six months, the students will receive classroom instruction on topics needed to prepare them for an entry-level position in the nuclear industry, specifically for a job with SRMC at SRS. Apprentices will learn the basic qualifications of a production operator, including conduct of operations principles, radiological worker training and qualification, and how to operate and monitor facility equipment. While enrolled in the Nuclear Fundamentals program, the students also start on-the-job training as part of the process of becoming qualified nuclear facility production operators.
Production operators fill critical jobs needed to safely conduct radioactive waste processing at SRS Liquid Waste facilities, such as the Defense Waste Processing Facility, Salt Waste Processing Facility, End Stream Delivery facilities, and the Liquid Waste Tank Farms. Operators ensure facility equipment is safely functioning, conduct material transfers, and perform data analysis, among other tasks.
SRMC’s Production Operator Apprenticeship Program provides a unique gateway to a fulfilling career at SRS, according SRMC President and Program Manager Dave Olson.
“Our apprentices reap the benefits that this program provides in the way of effectively blending the significance of higher education with on-the-job training,” Olson said. “Production operators play a key role in the safe and efficient operations of our nuclear facilities and will be a tremendous asset as we continue our mission to safely reduce the risk to the community and the environment of radioactive liquid waste stored at SRS.”
SRMC comprises parent company BWX Technologies, Inc. with partners Amentum and Fluor. Its team brings the capabilities necessary to accelerate cleanup at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site through safe nuclear operations, optimized and integrated mission execution, and strong corporate governance.