just started in Energy Production Program

[michael49022]

I just started in a new Energy Production Program here at my local community college.  I am in my 40's and laid off from my former job and an article came out in our paper this summer about the future shortage of people in the Nuclear industry.  The article said that our two local plants,  D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman and Palisades Power Plant in Covert were forming this new program with Lake Michigan College.

http://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1849&Itemid=13

Since  I am going back to college I would like to get a degree that will get me a job that interests me and that has a future and that will pay well and have good benefits.  This degree seems like it could be it and I am pretty pumped about it.  I would like some feed back from people in the field that are where I hope to be when I finish this degree.    If you  had your choice, which field would you choose, chemistry,  operations, electrical, etc.  What do you like about your career and what don't you like.  Is it true that with a 2 year degree like this I can get a job that starts in the $25 to 35 an hour range + over time?  Can you walk me through a normal day for you?
Thanks for your time.

[retired nuke]

I just started in a new Energy Production Program here at my local community college.  I am in my 40's and laid off from my former job and an article came out in our paper this summer about the future shortage of people in the Nuclear industry.  The article said that our two local plants,  D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman and Palisades Power Plant in Covert were forming this new program with Lake Michigan College.

http://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1849&Itemid=13

Since  I am going back to college I would like to get a degree that will get me a job that interests me and that has a future and that will pay well and have good benefits.  This degree seems like it could be it and I am pretty pumped about it.  I would like some feed back from people in the field that are where I hope to be when I finish this degree.    If you  had your choice, which field would you choose, chemistry,  operations, electrical, etc.  What do you like about your career and what don't you like.  Is it true that with a 2 year degree like this I can get a job that starts in the $25 to 35 an hour range + over time?  Can you walk me through a normal day for you?
Thanks for your time.

Congratulations - you are on your way.
Which path you follow is up to you. Lots of folks on this board are in Radiation Protection or Operations. Most of us like what we do.

Operations is (generally) shift work for many years before a chance at "normal" work hours. Operations generally don't travel from plant to plant. There are reactor services companies that do have work that goes from plant to plant. Operations pays a bit better, and there is more opportunity to advance without a BS degree, to a point.

RP / HP has the opportunity for about any work hours / travel you want. I have been an RP for 25+ years, got my 2 yr degree in '82. Been at several levels, didn't like being mgmt, so I'm at the tech level. Pay is good, I'm on dayshift M-Th, and while overtime is available, I don't work it unless it's really necessary. Personal choice...I got a family that I prefer to spend time with.

I have been "house" (working for a utility) - this is my second time, and a contractor (20+ plants, DOE, etc). I enjoyed both, and I'm happy where I am now. Some of the advantages to working for a utility - benefits (medical, retirement, education reimbursement, etc), home every nite (or at least after every shift), better pay for time worked, opportunity for advancement. The main advnatages to being a contractor - 4-6 months off per year, mostly in the summer, and travel. Contractors seldom make what House folks make, but they have more of the year to themselves.

Good luck, study hard, it should be an interesting road for you.   

[dinutt]

Good luck to you !!  As HouseDad says there are alot of opportunity's for you in the fields of RP/HP or Operations and it is a matter of what choice you make.I was  a contractor(HP) for years before I went house (for the utility) and the benefits etc are a plus and the pay is better than I expected as with the overtime that is offered as well which now is an option for me sometimes The other plus you have too is it is  home for you and that makes a difference.I work days m-f and I do travel for scheduled outages to my sister plant which is a nice change.I believe most of your other interest in depts you were asking about (maint,elect,chemistry etc )are pretty much shift work which isn't bad as I spent my first 2 years on peakshft its a good shift you have your whole mornings and get to do whatever then off to work til  23:30 and  your family needs should come into play til you get to a dayshift spot . Once you  put your feelers out there and know what area you want to work there will be still training required for the utility in Operations it is almost 18 months ? and RP/HP initial program can be about 2 months then you have to  get qualified in plant. Hope I have helped some .It sounds like you have a great experience ahead of you.Welcome to the site  and keep us posted.Best of luck to you !
Di

[RDTroja]

A two year degree probably won't change your opportunities a lot. $25 to $35 an hour is attainable with no degree at all, depending on what you do. If you want to go to management, you need a four year degree, but almost any subject will do. If you take a house job as a junior HP technician, you can get close to the $25 to start (depending on the part of the country and the utility) and $35 after a couple of years is fairly normal... for house techs. Overtime is available most of the time and required for certain parts of the year when the plant is in outage (or plants at multiple unit sites.) Sometimes the opportunity exists to go to other plants the utility owns (as Di mentioned) for even more overtime. Contract technicians make less per hour but work virtually all the overtime they can handle and get perdiem. Debates on pay, perdiem, equity between house and road techs, preferences, hours, benefits and just about every other associated subject are all over this Forum. Put most of those words in the search function and be prepared to read until you are overwhelmed.

[michael49022]

Thanks for  the information House Dad, Dinutt, and RD.  Its all very useful to me at this point.  I do not really have to make a decision on what  I will choose to concentrate on till next year.  I have to then choose between Chem, Crafts, Hp/Rp or Operations and then take classes made for that field.   I am about equally interested in Operations, Rp/Hp and Chem.  Right now I am just taking the required Math, etc and one class called Energy/Power Industry Fundamentals Concepts.  I would like to stay right where I am if possible when I finish.  I live in St. Joseph Mi since 83' when I finished college the last time and I like the area, living along Lake Michigan.   D C Cook is about 15 mins south and Palisades Plant is about 20 min  north of me.   I have heard that they both are considering expanding in the near future and are loosing 35% of their people to retirement in the next 5 yrs.  That is one of the reasons they approached the college about starting the program.  Does anyone know anything about those two plants?  Good or Bad?
   If anyone else has anything to add or suggestions I'd appreciate it.  I'm looking for information like what a normal day consists of in the different fields. What is good or bad about the career that may or may not appear in print. And in the end, what ends up bing key to being good in that field?  Also why do people leave that career?   I'm also like people's thought on my age.  I will be in my late 40's by the time I get my degree.  How much will that effect me getting a job?  Did I start too late?  I hope not.
What is the pay and benefits like for someone first starting?
Thanks

[NJ]

I believe the average age of a HP Tech is 54..The reason for the turn over is we get old and die!
Or we cannot climb those ladders and more.  No walkers in Containment!  40 is not too old to start and DC Cook is a great place to work. The turnover could also be House techs turn road techs.
NJ

[DAVEZ712]

Michael,
I too have entered the Energy Production Program @ LMC.
I will start in May '09. Can you give me an update on your progress in the Program. How you like it etc....
I have read your posts and I am in the same boat....laid off, in my 40's, going back to school for a degree that will land me a high-paying secure job.
I'm seriously looking at the Rad-Tech. area.
I am going through the Micigan Works Program, NWLB.

Let me know....

Thanks, Dave

[Old HP]

I have a VERY hard time recommending Radiation Protection as a career choice. It takes too long for the time and qualifications to met .
It does not pay well enough for the demands placed on both house techs or road techs. There is a very low percentage completion rate in available training programs with a number of people branching out into maintenance, I&C or just leaving nuclear power altogether. Ask anyone with more than 20 years in the business and learn about the high divorce rate and time away from family. Also ask if they would do it again.

The ONLY bright spot is there is a need for experienced workers in the industry as us old farts are getting tired of the way the industry is headed and we choose to work less or leave the business entirely.

[Smooth Operator]

Good luck in the program, one thing you have to consider is the effect of the job on your body. I think Chem Tech is the best of the 4 areas for older folks, those 4 being Ops, Chem, RP, or Maint. You don't want to be a new HP tech with physical limitations. I think that would just breed animosity. Swinging a meter and swiping stuff isn't in itself hard, but there still can be lots of bending, wearing protective suits, and other stuff that can grind someone down over the years if they are not prepared for it.

I think OPs is the most strenuous, lots of climbing, bending, twisting, walking, fire brigade, etc.

Chem Techs basically analyze samples in a lab, perhaps go out to turn a valve to get a sample, but for the most part wait for machines to spit out a data report.

Every plant is different, but at my plant, Operators do rounds, pull breakers, climb on stuff for vibes, do a whole lot of tasks that seem the domain of other departments, so you have to be fit enough to be a jack of all trades.

Also, I think there would be more longevity for an older person in Chemistry and opportunity to advance upwards within a shorter time frame than starting at the bottom of the NLO ranks and working upwards towards supervision. Unless you want to be at the tech level until retirement.

YMMV.

Whatever you all decide, I wish you the best of luck and welcome to the industry!!

[michael49022]

One year down and one more to go.  I just finshed my first year in the new energy program at Lake Michigan College with a 3.65 GPA.   Its been difficult at times because I'm working about 55 hrs a week at my job on top of my classes and studying but I feel I've learned a lot and met some great people.  I'm excited to get this last year started and over with so I can start my new career. These are the classes I've taken so far....

Mathematics 100, Applied Mathematics   
Mathematics 110, Technical Mathematics 
ENGY 100 Energy/Power Industry Fundamentals Concepts 
ENGY 120 Energy/Power Plant Drawings 
ENGY 205 Energy/Power Field Experience 
ENGY 200 Reactor Plant Materials 
ENGY 210 Radiation Detection and Protection 
  ENGY 225 Reactor Theory, Safety and Design 

It doesn't look like much when printed out like this but it consumed most of my time this past year.
We are required to pick a major this year  from crafts, RP, Ops, or Chemistry.   The energy field experience had me spend 8 hrs in each concentration.  I did this at DC Cook in Bridgman MI.  Some others in my class did it in Covert MI at Palisades which is just north of me.   I'm still undecided but I am interested the most in operations and RP.   Since I had to choose one I chose operations.  Starting this semester my classes will be  focused toward operations.  Operations seems to cover more of everything and I hope if I change my mind I can get still get a job as in RP. 
  I have spent about 5 days at Cook and visited the training control room at Palisades.  If I had a choice I'm not sure which plant I'd choose to work at.  Cook has two reactors so it would seem to have double the  opportunity but since Palisades is owned by Entergy who owns a lot of plants,  it might have even more opportunities

 

 

[Paul]

Cook is a great place to work.
Good people.
But they send my paychecks every 2 weeks, so maybe I am biased.

[michael49022]

What dept are you in at Cook Paul,  and how long have you been there?

[Paul]

Electrical Maintenance.
18 months.