AIKEN, S.C. – The Savannah River Site (SRS) continues to expand its workforce, as the inaugural class of Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) Nuclear Operator Apprentices was recognized at a ceremony on April 23 for completing the Nuclear Fundamentals Apprenticeship Program at Denmark Technical College (DTC).
This event marks a significant milestone in developing staffing for pit production at the Site’s SRPPF facility, which – along with Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico – has been tasked by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) with producing plutonium pits at the quantities needed for modernization of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile to achieve nuclear deterrence.
The five apprentices – Chris Cody, Logan Hamblin, David (Zach) Whitson, Brianna Golphin, and Cade Martin – were honored during a completion ceremony, along with three apprentices from Savannah River National Laboratory – Jayden Baker, Adrien McCall, and Mitchell Webster. After completing the eight-month program, which involved simultaneous classroom work at DTC’s Allendale, South Carolina satellite campus and on-the-job training at SRS, all eight apprentices have earned a certificate in nuclear fundamentals and a portable credential from the Department of Labor.
Senior Vice President – NNSA Pit Production Operations and Programs Darlene Murdoch was the keynote speaker at the event, telling the graduates, “As part of the very first class of SRPPF apprentices, you are blazing a trail as future leaders and the new generation of decision makers at the Savannah River Site. SRS has a long-standing track record of 75 years of service to the nation. You are now part of that legacy, and we are excited to welcome you to the team. We look forward to watching your careers progress for many years to come.”
Zach Whitson, along with the other SRPPF apprentices, will now transition to full-time positions working in the Pit Production Operations and Programs organization with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the managing and operating contractor at the Site. “This program has been great for starting my career,” he said. “The SRS Apprenticeship Program provides the opportunity to make a good living and jump start your future. I would recommend it to any young person out there. SRS is worth it.”
The SRS Apprenticeship School was created as an industry partnership with local technical colleges to help build workforce pipelines for various disciplines at SRS. In addition to DTC, the School’s community partners now include Aiken Technical College, Augusta Technical College and economic development agencies like the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization.
While addressing the students, DTC President and CEO Dr. Willie L. Todd, Jr. remarked, “You are making a real and lasting impact. I deeply admire the dedication each of you has shown. You are a living testament to what’s possible when purpose meets perseverance. My hope is that the confidence you feel today continues to shine wherever your journey takes you and that when someone asks where you received your training, you’ll say with enthusiasm, ‘Denmark Technical College.’ We’re excited about our growing partnership with the Savannah River Site and the tremendous opportunities it’s opening up for our students.”
Patrick Ott, SRS Apprenticeship Program Lead, has served as Site liaison for the apprentices during their time in the program. “Essentially these students will now be on the front lines of the nuclear deterrent as SRNS employees,” he said. “Every day, they are demonstrating the SRS mantra of ‘We make the world safer.’”
Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility Nuclear Operator Apprentices at a completion ceremony held April 23 at Denmark Technical College.
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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