As the nuclear power industry undergoes a national renaissance, officials in Chattanooga are going full steam ahead to prepare for expected demand in the field.
"We had a long period of time where we were fairly stagnant - we didn't build new plants and you didn't have a lot of entry-level folks coming in," said Neil Gannon, a general manager for TVA. "And now with individuals getting to the end of their career, we're starting to see large numbers of people go to retirement ... Right now we're seeing attrition hitting us at a time when we are looking at putting a new nuclear generation in service."
That's one of the reasons TVA partnered with Chattanooga State Community College about three years ago to train students for the energy provider upon graduation.
The first program focused on radiation protection, which boasted the first graduating class in the country in May and has already put graduates to work at TVA.
In a second phase, the college introduced a nuclear power engineering technology program this fall that ideally will culminate in the hiring of 21 graduates by TVA.
"We don't want to have 20 people in a class and we can't hire them, and we also don't want to flood the market," said Renee Milner, general manager of nuclear training at TVA. Job demand is taken into account before students begin the rigorous two-year training process, she said..
Students range from recent high school graduates to older people looking for a career change.
The curriculum focuses on areas such as mathematics, physics, thermodynamics and engineering fundamentals.
Lisa Miller, the program's lead professor at Chattanooga State, said all students went through a screening process where she looked for those who were motivated to learn. Students also had to pass background checks to ensure they have the clearance to work in a nuclear power plant after graduation, she said.
For the area, the program will spur jobs while keeping the area on the forefront of nuclear power technology.
"On a broader scale, we want to increase our base load energy to attract more major manufacturers, like Volkswagen and companies like that, who have a big draw on electricity," Tim McGhee, dean of Chattanooga State's engineering technology division, said.
"It enables the utility to meet demand for manufacturing growth, which is huge for our economic development here in the Tennessee Valley."
And for the students, it's about getting a job in an industry that is hiring during an economic downturn and providing entry-level workers with starting pay nearing $50,000, which will substantially increase with further on-the-job training.
James Holder, a Cleveland, Tenn., native and student, said having an almost guaranteed job close to home after graduation is a main benefit of the program.
"I didn't realize how exciting it would be," he said. "I get excited to come into class everyday. I'm like, 'All right, time to do nuclear stuff.'"