Filling the Critical Nuclear Quality Systems Workforce Gap

摘要

The region surrounding Aiken Technical College is positioned between major nuclear utility expansion projects at V. C. Summer Nuclear Station in South Carolina and Plant Vogtle in Georgia. At the neighboring Department of Energy Savannah River Site, the Mixed Oxide Fuel Facility and the Salt Waste Processing Facility projects are under construction. These combined projects are employing thousands of skilled trade, technical, engineering and professional employees needing specialized training and education. In 2009, a comprehensive regional workforce study conducted through the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) identified and validated specific training and education needs across 57 key job classifications in support of these projects. One identified specialized training discipline was quality assurance and control technicians. To respond to this need, Aiken Technical College partnered with V. C. Summer and a robust local and nationwide advisory committee to design and offer an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nuclear Quality Systems.