AIKEN, S.C. – Students in a nuclear training program’s inaugural class recently toured the Savannah River Site (SRS) to view EM cleanup efforts and nuclear facilities where they may one day work.

   “We’ve met many of the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) facility managers through this program, but they usually come to us,” said Ed Redd, a member of the Nuclear Fundamentals Certificate class at Aiken Technical College (ATC). “They try to tell us how it works and what it looks like at SRS, but actually being able to have feet on the ground and look at the facilities was a great opportunity.”  

   As the nuclear industry experiences major growth in Georgia and South Carolina, ATC offers opportunities for area residents through the nuclear fundamentals class and other nuclear-based education programs. 

   The college collaborated with SRNS, the SRS management and operations contractor, to develop the certificate program’s curriculum. Program graduates could qualify for nuclear operations careers at SRS and the region’s other major nuclear facilities. 

   ATC President Dr. Susan Winsor said the ATC program prepares students for entry-level positions in the nuclear industry. A mix of applied chemistry, physics and engineering classes provides a strong foundation for employment in nuclear facilities.

   Windsor emphasized the importance of the SRS tour for the students.

   “We recognize the enormous value of an onsite visit where theory meets reality,” she said.

   SRNS donated $10,000 to the ATC program to reduce costs for students. Qualifying students receive up to $2,000 in financial assistance from ATC to cover tuition and fees associated with the program.

   “The graduates of this ATC program will have met all our fundamental training needs, providing much needed job candidates who are ready to go to work in SRNS nuclear facilities almost immediately,” SRNS President and CEO Carol Johnson said. “A large percentage of our employees are reaching an age where they qualify for full retirement. We know those seeking retirement will rise every year throughout the near future.”