IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Employees with Idaho Site cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho have met with junior and senior high school students from the local Shoshone-Bannock Tribes over the last several weeks to discuss EM-related career opportunities in engineering, training, and robotics.
The discussions were organized by the Foundation for Indigenous Education, Leadership Development, and Sustainability (FIELDS), which teaches Indian students life skills and helps connect them with employment after they graduate high school.
As the nuclear cleanup field faces a high number of retirements as baby boomers age, companies such as Fluor are looking for ways to reach potential new employees. At the same time, the FIELDS program mentors students and encourages them to pursue technical and professional careers. These sessions with the students help Fluor and the Tribes achieve their goals.
Instructors have been successful teaching students about trade skills such as electrical fuse box maintenance and auto mechanics. Students took such expertise to heart while restoring a 1957 pickup truck.
Fluor Idaho Lead Engineer Joe Giebel recently discussed a range of Fluor Idaho career choices with students.
“With the younger generation, there is certainly a keen interest in robotics," Giebel said. “Fortunately, our industry is heading in that direction and in the direction of virtual reality, so there could be a good match."
During a class discussion, Fluor Idaho Program Manager Fred Hughes highlighted many remote operations at the Idaho Cleanup Project and throughout the industry, noting that videogame experience can lead to skilled remote operators. He also detailed other career opportunities and answered questions about career paths.
“Fluor Idaho is making a significant contribution to our programs through the time and effort of members of its senior leadership team," said Doyle Anderson, who created FIELDS in 2013. “Team members have been doing an excellent job inspiring our students."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
