DTC Operator Apprentice graduates include David Tolias, Scottie Tarver, Brandon Watkins, Johnaisha Patterson, Dustin Bates, Kyler McKie, Hudson Huckabee, Laura Burgess, Larry Tyler, Kevin Dickson, Matthew Darnall, John Bolin, Austin Harper, Jordan Floyd, and Mina Strickland. (Photo: DOE)
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina recently began onboarding 24 graduates from Denmark Technical College in Denmark, S.C., as part of SRS’s Production Operator Apprentice School.
DTC, a Historically Black College, is one of three schools, along with Aiken Technical College and Augusta Technical College, to join the SRS apprenticeship school since its inception four years ago. The school offers a variety of programs focused on working in the nuclear community. More information on the apprenticeship school is available online.
Work: Most DTC graduates will go to work for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the managing and operating contractor at SRS, in what is called the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise, which involves U.S. defense activities. Other graduates have been hired for other SRNS facilities and for facilities run by Savannah River Mission Completion, the liquid waste contractor at SRS.
About: The Production Operator Apprentice Program started as a partnership between SRNS, Aiken Technical College, Apprenticeship Carolina, and the Lower Savannah Council of Governments.
The eight-month program simultaneously allows for students to complete their classroom work and on-the-job training by allowing them to alternate between taking classes at the technical college and receiving training at SRS while earning a competitive, scalable wage.
At the end of the program, participants will have earned a certificate in nuclear fundamentals and will have a portable credential from the Department of Labor. Since its inception, the program has graduated more than 420 students, according to the DOE.
Quotable: "I could not be prouder of our 24 new nuclear fundamentals graduates,” said Willie L. Todd Jr., DTC president and chief executive officer. “They are stepping into a workforce that is in critical need of their expertise, helping to close the gap in this vital industry. We are honored to have provided them with a quality education that not only equips them to succeed but also positions them to build generational wealth and create lasting legacies in their communities."
“The mission of Denmark Technical College is to engage, educate, and empower students,” said Hadi Hamid, DTC associate vice president of industrial-related technologies and workforce. “This program is a shining example of that mission in action. [The students’] successes are a statement to the transformative power of education.”
