Changing national energy dynamics and an aging industry-specific workforce are directly impacting the on-going development of the nuclear technology program at Advanced Technology Center in Mexico. "There is just a huge need for technicians," stated ATC department chair and nuclear technology instructor Bruce Meffert, specifically referencing corresponding student recruiting efforts. "The average age of the nuclear technician out there in the industry is 50 years old. So the industry is starting to understand that, 'Wow, we've got a problem here,' because the average retirement age is 56, and they need sharp young people to come in and do this."

And, according to Meffert, calls for increased nuclear power plant development to meet growing energy needs could further exacerbate the workforce shortage. As a result, the ATC program – coordinated through Linn State Technical College, and established in 2004 – is well-positioned in its mission to educate and train future nuclear industry employees. Underscoring the foresight of the program's organizers was the recent announcement that Linn State is the recipient of the 2008 Optimas Award For Vision, specifically for its nuclear technology program at ATC. The award is issued by the Workforce Management organization.

"We're one of the first programs, and we've been able to get our name out there nationally," stated Meffert. "And so we have industries from all over the country, and especially here in the midwest, companies all over the midwest advertising for me. And probably our biggest breakthrough is we are suddenly realizing that we are getting more of our interest from sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, neighbors of nuclear power employees."

Reflecting the increased interest is the growing number of participants in the two-year ATC program. Currently, there are 57 first-year students enrolled in the program, including 25 from Illinois. That compares with eight freshmen in 2004. "And next year, I'm shooting for 80" incoming students, stated Meffert, adding that four score would represent the maximum incoming class size for the program as it is presently designed.

One current student in the program is Travis Gelden of Linn, Missouri. A sophomore studying radiation protection, Gelden recently began participation in a mandated internship program, working at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. "With this (ATC) program, I was looking on-line, and basically, the cost you put into it, and what you get out of it, this was the best looking one out there," he said. "And I went to the NEI (Nuclear  Energy Institute) conference, and talked to a couple of instructors, and they said, 'We will pay you to go back to school.' And also that you can work from the entry level, like the RP (radiation protection) tech, become an operator, and move up to basically where you want to go."

"He'll get paid $15 per hour, and $95 a day per diem, working 40 hours per week until the outage (maintenance period) starts, and then he'll be working 72 hours," noted Meffert, referencing Gelden's internship. "And he'll be getting time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours on top of that $15. So that is a pretty good internship for a young man in the middle of his schooling. And then he'll come back for one more semester, and then he can go start."

According to Meffert, math-related courses infuse much of the corresponding curriculum for the program's associate of applied science degree. But the department chairman added: "Here, at a two-year school, we're not asking for people to know a lot of different math concepts. We use the same math concepts over and over again. Percentages and fractions and unit conversions – centimeters to inches, and things like that. And basic algebra. About the most advanced stuff that we do is exponentials and logarithms, and very basic right triangle trigonometry."

In turn, successful students develop critical industry-related skills, including the ability to:
• Convey nuclear technology-related concepts in both oral and written formats.
• Appraise worksite conditions requiring radiological controls, including planning and design implementation to minimize personnel exposure to radiation.
• Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical equipment.
• Evaluate changing nuclear power plant conditions.
• Conduct nuclear industry work while utilizing applicable tools to minimize human error.

Successful program graduates can then expect to receive jobs with high starting salaries, stated Meffert. "The jobs are out there, and the industry is out there to help," he said, noting that job placement in the field – which includes nuclear operators, radiation protection technicians, maintenance technicians, and quality control technicians – is "100 percent."

Meantime, further assessing the current dearth of younger employees within the profession, the instructor cited two critical factors: the 1979 incident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, when a partial meltdown occurred in a pressurized water reactor at the facility, ultimately leading to near cessation of nuclear construction within the U.S.; and de-regulation of electricity in much of the country, resulting in cheaper pricing, but also stricter control of bottom line operating revenue, and thus fewer employees.

The aforementioned Optimas Award in turn represents acknowledgment of the forward-looking vision of ATC program organizers to effectively assess changing dynamics within the industry.
Commenting last month, Meffert stated: "We're excited about having the award because it is recognition for how we have worked with industry to meet industry needs. And honestly, it is the great nuclear industry that has made this program great. The secret of our success is having a great nuclear industry that has helped us, and that is one of the reasons we have won this award, is by working with the nuclear industry."

Specifically, Workforce Management notes that "The Optimas Awards are given annually ... to ten outstanding organizations that have demonstrated how their management strategies, policies and programs affect the bottom-line success of their organizations."
In recognition of the achievement, an awards luncheon and ceremony honoring the various enterprises – which also includes American Express, IBM, Kaiser Permanente, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Crouse Hospital of Syracuse, ArcelorMittal, HCL Technologies, Sodexo, and Metropoli-tan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York – will be conducted Oct. 28 in New York City. Attendees representing Linn State will include Meffert, and Donald Claycomb, president of the college. Similarly, each of the winning organizations will be profiled in the October issue of Workforce Management magazine. The issue is slated for release on Oct. 20.

For more information about the award, visit www.workforce.com.
For more information about the nuclear technology program, visit www.linnstate.edu/academic/mnt/default.asp.