Page 9 - SRNS_Today_July_2021

JULY 2021 | SRNS TODAY | 9

Interns and apprentices enter job pipeline

ozens of year-round SRNS student interns have been
reclassified as apprentices at SRS. This change has 37 97
D benefitted participating students and the company. 125
“This is important, since they can receive a certification at the end
of their apprenticeships once they are registered into one of our 13 summer different types managers
Department of Labor (DOL) approved apprenticeship profiles,” said interns of jobs supported
Rainer Neely, SRNS Intern Program. “It’s a significant advantage over
our largely ‘experience-based’ summer interns, who still play a very
important role within our company.” will lead to an even stronger workforce ready to take on the
challenges of the future at SRS,” he said.
Currently, seven DOL paid apprentice “profiles” are available: Facility/
Production Operators, Software Engineers, Records Management Though the conversion of year-round interns to apprentices has
Clerks, Process Software Engineers, Systems Engineers, Computer impacted the number of interns in the program, 125 summer
Systems Support Technicians and Maintenance Mechanics. interns are expected to make significant contributions to SRNS
this year.
An additional six apprentice profiles will soon include: Electrical
and Instrumentation Mechanics, Project Controls personnel, In fact, this year’s interns will fill 37 different types of jobs and
Fire Protection Engineers, RadCon Inspectors, Supply Chain support 97 managers.
Management Resource employees and Associate Chemical “Summer interns enjoy a wide range of potential careers to test
Management Center Analysts. drive. Many will find a vocation they had not previously considered;
Neely explained that SRNS’ multi-mission contract with the DOE others might pivot to another dream job. At the least, each will
provides opportunities for a wide range of occupations. experience life at SRS and get a glimpse of work within a U.S.
industrial complex,” said Neeley.
“We’re working within our missions to accomplish, if not exceed,
goals in areas such as safety, security, nuclear operations, A graduate of Augusta University, Cassie Sistare completed her
environmental cleanup and the nonproliferation of nuclear materials,” second internship in December 2020. In that time, she learned
said Neely. “How better to fill these needs than with a year-round about Human Performance Improvement (HPI) principles, which
intern who is now an apprentice?” provide a systematic approach to improving individual and
organizational performance with an emphasis on enhancing safety.
Neely added that the SRNS management team recognizes
the substantial value of apprenticeship programs and the “During my time at SRNS as an intern, I’ve come to greatly value
job pipeline they naturally generate for the company. the importance of safety, including HPI, and I want to instill that
“Without a doubt, registered apprentice programs are same value in others,” said Sistare.
the wave of the future here at SRS and throughout The SRNS organization that hired Sistare as an intern recently
South Carolina. We’re confident this change in policy offered her a full-time position, which she accepted.

Former SRNS intern and newly-hired employee
Cassie Sistare evaluates a training session
utilizing a dynamic learning activity she
developed during her internship.