AIKEN, S.C. – Three Savannah River Site (SRS) contractors recently collaborated to welcome their first joint cohort of apprentices as part of the Nuclear Fundamentals Program, which will provide over 100 trained operators to the site upon its completion.

The Operator Apprentice Program started as a partnership with SRS managing and operating contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), Aiken Technical College, Apprenticeship Carolina and the Lower Savannah Council of Governments. The program is part of the site’s broader Apprenticeship School.

The eight-month program enables students to complete their classroom work and on-the-job training simultaneously. They spend two days a week in the classroom and two days a week at the site. At the end of the program, participants will have earned a certificate in nuclear fundamentals.

For the latest round of operator apprentices, SRNS joined with SRS liquid waste contractor Savannah River Mission Completion and Savannah River National Laboratory to offer over 100 openings for the program. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) laboratory is managed and operated by contractor Battelle Savannah River Alliance.

Apprentices will learn the basic qualifications of a production operator, including conduct-of-operations principles, radiation worker training and qualification, and conducting shift rounds. Those who successfully complete the program are hired and put to work in areas across SRS.

“This is the sixth cohort of operator apprentices SRNS has hired and the largest group to date,” said Dorian Newton, SRNS program manager for Apprenticeship School and Pipeline Training. “We are excited to see this program grow and to partner with other site contractors. This program is beneficial not only to our companies, but to SRS as a whole and to the community.”

SRMC also welcomed its largest class of operators in its history with 53 new hires set out to fill key roles in various SRS liquid waste facilities.

“Operators are on the front lines of safely and successfully running the site’s nuclear facilities,” said Dave Olson, SRMC president and program manager. “Effective and proper training is essential to ensuring our operators possess the critical skills for their jobs. We are thankful for this joint effort with SRNS, Aiken Technical College, and Apprenticeship Carolina to provide the quality training for future SRS operators. These employees have bright futures ahead should they choose to grow in their careers at SRS.”