Recently, 16 area high school students were able to tour the Information Technology (IT) facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Students learned about the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) IT Youth Apprenticeship opportunity.
“We have worked with the Aiken County Public School District to give each of these high-performing tech students the chance to become the first IT Youth Apprentice,” said Tim Arnold, SRNS senior IT manager. “Employed students will complete their high school curriculum while gaining hands-on experience alongside our employees.”
Students at North Augusta High School (NAHS) who enrolled in the Advanced Computer Services and Repairs, called the Dell Student TechCrew, perform tasks in advanced computer repairs and diagnostics. Over the past three years, NAHS TechCrew students have repaired almost 2,000 devices for the school district.
“This life-changing opportunity with SRS seemed fitting for my students who are eager to gain employment their senior year,” said Michelle O’Rourke, NAHS instructor. “All students on the TechCrew are Dell-certified and have a ton of experience repairing computers for our school district.”
The tour of the PC Administration Facility and the Central Computing Facility was organized by SRNS Education Outreach for participating students, and they learned how computers are assembled, configured, and prepared for distribution to employees across the Site.
“The ultimate goal for this program is to hire youth apprentices to the learn the ins and outs of our IT department,” said Sean Alford, executive vice president and chief of administration. “Any chance we have to connect with students at the high school level is a benefit to our organization and the job pipeline we are building, year after year.”
SRNS personnel visited NAHS after the tour to prepare and train students in interview etiquette and the SRNS hiring process.
“I feel extremely honored to not only tour the Site, but to have the chance to interview for a paid apprenticeship experience,” said Jacob Lott, a prospective candidate for the apprenticeship. “I’ve spent my entire life building computers from scratch with my family and playing games like Minecraft and Terraria. This apprenticeship is a rare opportunity that will allow me to utilize my computer skills.”
SRNS will make their selection for the program by June 2024. This is a 12-to-15-month program, and it will allow the participant to complete on-the-job training. When they finish the program, they will earn a certificate from the Department of Labor. SRNS established the first successful Youth Apprenticeship with two graduated high school students in 2022.
