(Press release)

(WACO) — With the expected opening of seven new nuclear plants in Texas over the next decade, Texas State Technical College has been approved for funding of three projects that will accelerate the training of welders and other technicians critical to the industry.

In 2009, TSTC Waco received more than $500,000 in grants from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The two NRC grants, totaling $243,144, will be used to continue the funding of TSTC’s successful Nuclear Education Scholarship Program, and to develop a new course that will train students in Nuclear Welding Construction. NRC scholarship funds are assisting students who plan a career in the nuclear industry and are studying in a variety of TSTC programs, including: Environmental Health/Radiation Protection, Electrical/Computerized Control Systems & Robotics, Welding and Chemistry.

The National Science Foundation grant of $285,193 will be used to develop a new Advanced Technical Certificate in Nuclear Welding Inspection. The curriculum developed at TSTC Waco will be shared nationwide through the NSF’s Weld-ED ATE (Advanced Technology Education) Center. The three-year project will prepare students to handle the strict compliance and regulation challenges associated with welding inspection duties at nuclear reactors.

Currently, there are 104 nuclear power reactors operating in the United States, with four in Texas. Projections indicate the next reactors to be built will most likely be at the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station near Baytown. STP’s two units, which employ approximately 1,200, produce 2,700 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, providing energy to two million Texas homes.
Welders are a critical component in the construction and maintenance of nuclear reactors, and inspectors will be a key component in ensuring all safety standards are carefully followed.
It is estimated that more than half of the industry’s highly trained workforce is nearing retirement, creating a potential shortage of more than 200,000 skilled welders by 2010.

These grants are in addition to $344,558 awarded to TSTC in February through a Community-based Job Training Grant from U.S. Department of Labor. TSTC, in partnership Brazosport College -- the lead college in the application – was one of several colleges to receive funding from the grant, totaling approximately $1.8 million. TSTC also intends to reapply this year for an additional $100,000 from the Texas Nuclear Power Institute for 25 scholarships to continue its training in a variety of programs with nuclear-related components. The scholarships cover tuition, fees, books and tools.