For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Caldwell
Christopher.Caldwell@orcc.doe.gov
(804) 658-8367
UCOR receives Board of Regents SOAR Partnership Award
Oak Ridge, Tenn., April 25, 2023 – The Tennessee Board of Regents has named United Cleanup Oak Ridge, LLC, as the 2023 recipient of its “Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition Partnership Award.” The award recognizes UCOR’s successful workforce development partnership with Roane State Community College.
In nominating UCOR for the recognition, Roane State President Chris Whaley lauded the company’s “critical support” for the college’s Environmental Health Technology (EHT) and Chemical Engineering Technology (CET) programs. He underscored UCOR’s close involvement with faculty and staff as well as the company’s financial support of both programs.
“Few companies in Roane State’s 10-county service area have actively supported student success and workforce development in the many ways that UCOR has,” said Whaley. “The UCOR team is truly making a difference in the lives of our students, while they are in school and in career opportunities after graduation.”
UCOR has donated $100,000 to Roane State since 2021 for scholarships, equipment, software, and more to support the two programs. Company personnel serve on the program advisory boards, and experienced staff serve as guest lecturers. In addition, the company has two apprenticeship programs, one for chemical operators through the CET program and one for radiation control technicians through the EHT program. UCOR also has an internship program through EHT for industrial hygiene students.
The partnership with Roane State is foundational to UCOR’s workforce development strategy, along with the company’s partnerships with seven colleges and universities across the U.S. “We are proud of our partnership with Roane State, and our collaborations are creating career opportunities for students and a pipeline of talented individuals to support the cleanup mission,” said UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter. At UCOR, we say: ‘The future begins with cleanup.’ Not only is that true for the new and expanding missions that our work enables, but also for the new possibilities materializing for our student-partners.”
For example, Alyssa Pierce is a chemical operator who came to UCOR through the RSCC CET program. She said that thanks to this program, she is set for a life-long career on the Oak Ridge Reservation. “It opened doors to an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise,” Pierce said. “We are notified of job opportunities that are aligned with our coursework. That is how I joined the apprenticeship program at UCOR.”
UCOR is the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s lead environmental cleanup contractor. The company’s 2,100+ workers are dedicated to safely reducing environmental risk on the Oak Ridge Reservation while helping DOE’s Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration continue their important missions. Learn more about the company at UCOR.com.
.-end-
UCOR NR 2023-5
DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE
Photo caption: Accepting SOAR Partnership Award (l. to r.) Chris Whaley, RSCC; Len Morgan, UCOR; Charlie Malarkey, UCOR; Russ Deaton, Tennessee Board of Regents