OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Oak Ridge Partners With University to Grow Cleanup Workforce

About 30% of the student body is enrolled in engineering programs, and most of those students are seeking jobs that keep them in the state.

"They want to live in Tennessee once they graduate, even if they're not native Tennesseans," said Lori Mann Bruce, the university's provost and vice president for academic affairs. "They're really looking for career opportunities not just jobs but lifetime careers that are going to let them stay in the state of Tennessee."

That's welcome news to the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and its contractor, UCOR, as a significant percentage of their workforce is eligible to retire in the next 10 years.

The need for the next generation workforce to continue environmental cleanup in Oak Ridge is leading to new and exciting partnerships to advance workforce development initiatives. Most recently, UCOR and Tennessee Tech University signed an agreement to formalize their partnership.

They launched the partnership as the university's College of Engineering is set to expand its position as a top producer of engineering graduates for Tennessee. The school currently offers programs in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, general, and mechanical engineering, as well as computer science and engineering technology. The university also expects to launch a new nuclear engineering degree program as early as fall 2024.

UCOR will provide resources and expertise to Tennessee Tech University as it develops its curriculum. It's not a new endeavor for the contractor, which helped the University of Tennessee launch a nuclear decommissioning and environmental management minor in prior years.

"There will be some unique elements to this program that are a little different than other nuclear engineering programs around the country," Tennessee Tech University President Phil Oldham said. "That's where input from industry leaders like UCOR can assist us in identifying what those elements should be."

In addition to curriculum support, UCOR offers the university internship and career opportunities.

With an important mission and a workforce of 2,300 employees, OREM and UCOR have many meaningful work opportunities. Those positions will be vital to continuing a transformation in Oak Ridge that's eliminating environmental risks and enabling economic development at Oak Ridge's East Tennessee Technology Park. DOE Office of Environmental Management's (EM) Oak Ridge workforce is also removing hazards and helping modernize the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex.

"UCOR has great opportunities that allow employees to make a mark in history in regard to the largest environmental cleanup, the construction of a national park, or the largest conservation efforts in the state," UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter said. "These graduates can be an integral part of that."