Academic
Grant Partnerships
The SRSCRO’s academic partners have strong education and training capabilities in the Georgia and South Carolina region. Through grant programs, the SRSCRO has engaged these partners and is working to align education and training activities so that local citizens may have greater opportunity to develop the skills needed for local jobs.
Click on a academic grant below to learn about the details it offers:
Colleges and universities in the SRSCRO region offer scholarships, in varying amounts, for programs that align with long-term workforce needs. These scholarship funds are available because of the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) grant program that is managed by the SRSCRO. WORC is funded locally by the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration. WORC scholarship applications are managed individually by each academic partner. Prospective students are encouraged to inquire about these opportunities at their preferred institution.
Certificate and associate degree programs with WORC scholarship opportunities include Nuclear Fundamentals, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Radiation Protection Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Welding Technology and Engineering Graphics Technology.
Augusta Technical College
An extensive list of training programs, with WORC scholarship opportunities, are available to prepare students for well-paying local careers. The list includes: Chemical Technology, Computer Programming and Support, Cybersecurity, Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics. Network Specialist and Nuclear Engineering Technology.
Degree programs are available in many areas that support the nuclear industry, including Nuclear Science Track Degree Programs available through the Department of Chemistry and Physics.
Degree programs include many choices for students interested in pursuing careers in the nuclear science field through the College of Sciences which includes the opportunity to study all major areas of chemistry, biology, math, computer science or to enroll in pre-engineering. The Environmental Remediation and Restoration Program offers undergraduate research opportunities related to the nuclear industry and other industries.
University of SC Salkehatchie extended campus programs offer a variety of academic programs in the region. Academic programs are available for science and math fields of study that lead to certificates and degrees related to the nuclear industry, such as the B.S. in Industrial Process Engineering. This new degree pathway was established through the WORC grant program and aligns USC Salkehatchie’s 2 + 2 partnership with USC Aiken’s Industrial Process Engineering program.
Citizens of the SRSCRO region received a significant boost in workforce development funding on August 10, 2020 when a formal award for $5M was made to the SRSCRO by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The new grant program is called WORC II and supports NNSA workforce development related to the proposed plutonium pit mission, the long-standing tritium mission, and the surplus plutonium disposition mission at SRS. WORC II academic partners include Aiken Technical College, Augusta Technical College, University of South Carolina Aiken, Augusta University, University of South Carolina Salkehatchie and Claflin University.
The new WORC II Program includes scholarships for students enrolled in fields of study relevant to NNSA long-term workforce needs. Funding also supports promotion of these programs of study through marketing as well as student research activities, student retention strategies and STEM mentoring activities in the region.
Advancing Nuclear Skills Regionally (ANSR) was designed to support long-term nuclear workforce needs in the region. Each member of the SRSCRO-led consortium determined program plans for ANSR based on their areas of expertise and local nuclear workforce needs. The program was funded by the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management from 2011 - 2016.
Academic consortium members include: Aiken Technical College, Augusta Technical College, Augusta University, University of South Carolina Aiken and University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. This team developed seven new training and pipeline programs with significant results.
ANSR programs produced significant results. At least 600 individual students enrolled in ANSR programs, and 195 graduated with 168 graduates working in their field of study, many at SRS during the grant period. In addition, over 4000 elementary, middle and high school students benefited from ANSR programs designed to educate rural populations about nuclear technology through engaging science and technology programs. The ANSR programs have continued under a follow-on program called Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC).
The SRSCRO has established many partnerships, including those with the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) and its affiliated state consortium, the Georgia Energy and Industrial Construction Consortium (GEICC). Through these partnerships, the SRSCRO was a subawardee in CEWD’s $1.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement the Get Into Career Pathways model for Low Income Young Adults in 9 states through the State Energy Workforce Consortia.
Aiken Technical College and Augusta Technical College were instrumental partners in developing two Nuclear Workforce Initiative (NWI®) Academies. The SRSCRO served as project manager and fiscal agent for the grant. The project established a foundation to further define energy pathways for low-income young adults and expand on the pipeline of young, talented Georgia and South Carolina citizens entering the energy and industrial construction industries. CEWD recognized the NWI® Academies in publications and at their National Summit as one of the nation’s best workforce development practices for the energy industry.