AIKEN, S.C. - The management and operations contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is partnering with area colleges and universities to help fill science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs with qualified candidates.
“We have many positions at SRS that require knowledge in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. These positions include production operators, radiation control personnel, scientists, IT (information technology) techs, and engineers, requiring one-, two-, or four-year degrees depending on the opening," said Carol Barry, senior vice president of Workforce Services for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).
Barry said SRNS works closely with the University of South Carolina (USC) Aiken, Aiken Technical College (ATC), and Augusta Technical College to ensure degree programs produce graduates who are qualified and ready to work in STEM-based jobs at SRS.
“To fully accomplish this, the course curriculum at the collegiate level must be aligned to meet our training requirements," Barry said. “This minimizes the time and cost associated with long-term, onsite training."
SRNS officials understand that hiring graduates from local colleges and universities frequently results in long-term employment commitments.
“Partnering with employers for site tours, seminar speakers, capstone projects, and specific aspects of degree programs gives us keen insight into how best to prepare our graduates to meet the local workforce needs," said Dr. Daren Timmons, dean of the USC Aiken College of Sciences and Engineering.
Encouraging the next generation to pursue expertise in STEM fields addresses a real need for the Central Savannah River Area, Timmons said.
“Scholarships, like the ones from SRNS, are critical resources for many students pursuing an education that will enable them to contribute meaningfully in our community," he said.
Timmons noted that a quarter of students who enroll at USC Aiken and graduate do so with no debt, in part thanks to the generosity of partners like SRNS, which has contributed approximately $320,000 in scholarships to USC Aiken.
SRNS has worked with USC Aiken to develop the university’s new Industrial Process Engineering Program and ongoing plans for programs in cybersecurity.
USC Aiken Chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan recently received an installment of a $550,000 SRNS donation to support an endowed professorship for the new engineering degree.
“This tremendous gift helps immensely as we continue to grow the program and recruit the best faculty in this discipline," Jordan said. “This gift to USC Aiken is the largest single gift designated for this initiative."
The first class of students in this engineering major will graduate in May.
SRNS and ATC collaborated to create the Nuclear Fundamentals Certificate. The program prepares students for general production operator positions in the nuclear industry.
A $10,000 donation from SRNS and other scholarship funding greatly reduces the cost to seek this certificate.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
