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How this South Carolina partnership is forging the next generation of welders

Christina Lee Knauss //December 20, 2022//

How this South Carolina partnership is forging the next generation of welders

Christina Lee Knauss //December 20, 2022//

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The Savannah River Site’s liquid waste contractor has forged a partnership with South Carolina’s only historically Black technical college to help prepare the next generation of welders.

Students and faculty of Denmark Technical College’s welding program recently toured the welding facilities at Savannah River Mission Completion, and a welding inspector from SRMC then visited the school to speak to students and faculty. These tours are a result of a memorandum of understanding the two organizations signed in July, according to a news release. The memorandum is effective until June 30, 2023, and can be renewed.

SRMC hosted the welding program instructors and students at the welding shop in the H Tank Farm, a grouping of large underground waste-storage tanks at the Savannah River Site. The welding shop is where all welders must be tested and certified before starting work for the Site’s liquid waste program.

“The partnership between Denmark Technical College and Savannah River Mission Completion benefits both organizations,” said Dave Olson, president of SRMC and program manager. “These students are able to gain real-world experience through internships supporting SRMC’s welding facility.”

SRMC’s welding engineer Randy Rimes reviewed welding curriculum with Denmark Tech faculty, discussed opportunities for internships and jobs, and examined the school’s equipment to ensure students are working on equipment that would help them get jobs at a place like the Savannah River Site.

SRMC is made up of parent company BWX Technologies Inc. and partners Amentum and Fluor. The team is tasked with accelerating cleanup at the Savannah River Site.

 

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