Indian River State College establishes a Regional Center for Nuclear Education and Training (RC-NET). The Center ensures the demand for skilled nuclear technicians is met in a unified, systematic way in the Southeastern United States. Some of the goals of RC-NET are to create a comprehensive curriculum for technician tracks, develop or enhance training programs at the regional colleges, provide career paths to higher education and undergraduate research, and provide remote access to expensive and unique training components. This Regional Center serves the nuclear industry as a training resource, curriculum repository, and source of expertise, while improving communications and collaboration across the industry. RC-NET is supported by partnerships with colleges across the region. The partnerships include fifteen colleges, three universities and twenty seven industry partners. Collectively, this group represents a critical mass of training and industry experts.
By coordinating and supporting a network of dynamic training facilities capable of scaling up to meet the energy industry's needs, the Center reduces the risk associated with serious shortages in trained technicians. Traditionally, minority and female populations in the nuclear industry have been low; however, enrollment in IRSC's programs are above the national average. Highly qualified minority and female students are targeted to continue their education through scholarships, summer bridge programs, 2/3 articulation, and undergraduate research opportunities.
