Savannah River Site (SRS) has strengthened its workforce with 18 new nuclear operators, graduates of Augusta Technical College’s (ATC) Nuclear Operator Apprenticeship Program.
The eight-month program combined classroom instruction at ATC with hands-on training at SRS. Graduates will now transition into positions with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the site’s managing and operating contractor.
Of the group, 13 will join the K Area Complex (KAC) to support Plutonium Disposition Operations and Programs (PDOP), four will work in Environmental Management, and one will join the Savannah River Pit Production Facility. This class marks the largest group assigned to KAC to date.
Lee Sims, acting senior vice president of PDOP, praised the graduates’ future contributions.
“It is an honor to welcome this talented group of individuals into our operations,” Sims said. “Their dedication to our mission and their unwavering commitment to safety will help drive our success for years to come. We look forward to watching their careers grow as they contribute to the critical missions performed at SRNS.”
Interim ATC President Dr. Melissa Frank Alston gave the welcome remarks during the ceremony, which also featured SRNS leaders Duane McLane, senior vice president of Environmental Safety, Health, and Quality, and Janice Lawson, senior vice president of Environmental Management Operations.
Delivering the keynote address, Lawson encouraged graduates to continue striving for excellence.
“Continue to learn. Learn the systems of your facility, learn the safety basis of your facility, and go after your qualifications!” she said. “Be the best operator that you can be, and I promise you that good opportunities will come to you.”
Graduate Christopher Coleman, now joining PDOP, highlighted the importance of character in his reflection.
“I strive to be the best I possibly can be in everything I put my hands to,” Coleman said. “It’s a challenge to pursue excellence, but we can, and we must remain vigilant and dedicated to the honesty, integrity, and excellence that defines us as people and as nuclear operators at the Site.”
Program lead David Jackson commended the group’s camaraderie, saying the cohort of operator apprentices “bonded as family.”
“Throughout the process they showed dedication, teamwork and skill. This cohort has proven that going through the Apprenticeship Program isn’t just achieved — it’s earned,” he said.”
The Apprenticeship School at SRS partners with ATC, Aiken Technical College, Denmark Technical College, and local economic development groups including the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization.
More information about apprenticeship opportunities at SRS can be found at srs.gov.
