Workers on nuclear sites face health and safety threats from known and unknown hazards. Evolving job conditions (e.g. disposing of nuclear waste from plant decommissioning) pose new and increased threats. Workers on these jobs need training to protect themselves, the community, and the environment. Training not only reduces job site accidents, injuries, and fatalities, but it is also required under various government regulations. Under the proposed program, LIUNA Training and Education Fund (LIUNA Training) will provide training to help workers identify job site hazards; protect themselves, the community and the environment; prepare for unanticipated job site incidents and support disaster response actions. Targeted workers perform a variety of jobs, such as waste containment, reduction, and removal, building demolition, construction and/or reconstruction and renovation, radiation monitoring and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Affiliated training partners will conduct the training and certification of workers and DOE staff. Other subject matter experts will collaborate with LIUNA Training on quality assurance, health and safety issues, scientific and technological advances, and efforts to disseminate model programs. Training will target Construction Craft Laborers, and other construction trades, environmental contractors and government personnel when appropriate. Special outreach will target minority, disadvantaged and non- or limited-English speaking workers. Training will be provided by 8 partner centers located in the following areas: West Valley, NY; Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in KY; Oak Ridge in TN; Savannah River in SC; Los Alamos National Laboratory in NM; Nevada Test Site, Idaho National Laboratory and Hanford in WA. Training will target employer and worker needs in each location and prepare workers for possible events in their geographic region. LIUNA Training and partners will provide 90 training weeks with approximately 2,120 trainees during the first program year and similar levels during the remaining four years. Training may include Hazardous Waste Worker and Refresher, Nuclear Power Plant Worker and Nuclear Technician among others. The grant program will train and certify instructors, provide competency-based credentials, and foster effective educational and training models. Collaborative efforts with DOE NTC, industry, and workforce development organizations will help advance training needs and innovations and improve overall quality and effectiveness of the DOE Worker Training Program at large.
The LIUNA Training and Education Fund (LIUNA Training) DOE Worker Training Program provides the education, training and certification needed to build a qualified, safe and efficient workforce that can support current and future nuclear industry needs, including construction, decommissioning, operation, radiation protection, disaster response and waste management jobs. In partnership with its national network of training centers, LIUNA Training provides workers and staff with the knowledge and skill needed to protect themselves, their co-workers, the community, and the environment when working on nuclear energy projects. This is critical to safeguard the health and safety of workers and the public, to maintain the necessary supply of skilled and competent workers and to preserve the integrity of our environmental resources.
