NLO Training

[Roll Tide]

It could be the writing on the wall, or it could be the fact that the industry is becoming more competitive. I remember talking to some big whig downtown buddy of my Dad (who has since retired) back in 2001 about getting a job offer with TVA. He said they would like to bring in some people currently licensed at other plants to go through instant SRO class and become unit supervisors. They had previously done it with AUO and SM, but not US under the HR policies they had in place.

5 years later, they have done it at every TVA site multiple times.

The Oyster Creek specific details would be more appropriately discussed under Region I Talk About Oyster Creek. http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,984.25.html

Some of the things speculated by Roc are likely true

[Fermi2]

Just wanted to make sure BuckyNuke has the ability to make an informed choice

Mike

[BuckyNuke]

right now i just need to find something to get me some experience in the field.

the HR person i talked to told me that they just got some really good news pertaining to their relicensing in the past few days. granted, it was a HR person.

[ChiefRocscooter]

BuckyNuke,
How did tyou start with them?  Did you send them resume, headhunter, ect..
How long did they take to respond to your initial resume input?

I am just starting to put stuff out and wondered how it worked with them?

Thanks Rob

[Fermi2]

Just about every day the News section here usually has an article or two about Oyster Creek. Read some of the articles. The HR Person is feeding you a line of BS. Exelon is in a dog fight at Oyster Creek and they know it.

Of course keep your options open but if the extent of your experience is your plant closing for good in the middle of your quals then it's not really experience at all. Unless you're addicted to the idea of living in a high price area while working at a plant with a shaky future I'd start checking out other nukes.

Mike

[RxW592638]

I'll be starting at TMI in mid-September.

I asked the questions in my interview that B'zilla referenced (license estension, power uprate, spent fuel storage, Rx head replacement etc...) and was completely satisfied with the response of the folks at TMI.

I'd like to agree and disagree with part of what Broadzilla has to say.

First of all, given the political climate of the northeastern United States I completely agree that Exleon is probably in a "dog fight" with respect to license extension at Oyster Creek. However, I went through the same thing at Vermont Yankee a couple of years ago with Entergy. And, Entergy won! In fact, at the time, Entergy had just acquired VY for approx 180 million dollars. The decommissioning fund was worth over 300 million dollars. Because Entergy has a division that performs decom of nuke sites, they could have easily paid themselves to decommission the plant and prospered greatly. However, the cost-benefit analysis showed there was more of an economic incentive to continue to operate the plant.

Given the increasing need for base load generation in the northeast, the acquistion by Exelon of Salem and Hope Creek and the reluctance on the part of citizens and politicians to construct any type of new generating station, I think Oyster Creek has a very good chance of continued operation. But, as we all know, if a decision is made to shutdown that plant it will be based on economics not politics. Exelon may in a fight, but I believe their in a fight to win based on the amount of money they've invested in the region. (Side note: I'm sure I sound like a company cheerleader and I'm not even on the payroll yet!)

Sorry for being so long winded with this post.

I welcome comments.

Regards,
Rex

[Fermi2]

I know you're excited about your job so I'll forgive your naivety. The circumstances are different between OC and VY. OC is a below average performer with known degradation of a principle safety barrier. It's also in a region where there is a LOT of money and political clout that is rapidly mustering to oppose OC. What exelon has spent is meaningless, HECK the NJ PUC has already told Exelon in the Salem hearings they could care less what Exelon has invested.

If you have any doubts what well funded intervenors can do when they put their mind AND money to it check your history and see what happened to Shoreham.

Mike

[Roll Tide]

Mike,
That was harsh.
True, but harsh!
Anyway, Oyster Creek specifics should be under talk about OC:


http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,984.25.html

In a broader response, I am happy that a few companies have bought additional Nukes; the disgruntled workers leaving there provide skilled replacements for the aging workforces elsewhere.   

[BuckyNuke]

Chief:

I sent my resume to a couple of places for AO/NLO jobs in the past 1-2 weeks, and I got immediate responses from Progress and Exelon. Seeing what the situation at OC is like now, and I'd probably rather live in South Carolina... I'm going to lean towards the job at the Robinson plant. However, I am from the midwest... and I'd probably would like to work my way back towards working in Illinois or back home in Wisconsin at some point in my life. Exelon obviously would be better for that.

[ChiefRocscooter]

Good to hear, please keep me informed of your progress and I will do like wise.

AS for the Midwest think you need to hook up with Trinian23 he works at plant central IL (right where you want, or close)Look at his posts to find info and drop him  a PM he seems like a guinely helpful fellow. 

Good luck

Rob

[ChiefRocscooter]

Mike,
...... the disgruntled workers leaving there provide skilled replacements for the aging workforces elsewhere.   

I would prefer you use the term seasoned!! vice aging!

ROB

[M1Ark]

Chief,

I was at INPO recently with an Operations Training Supervisor and he said Mcguire hires an NLO class every year and that they interview in January for a May start date.  I also met some contacts from Catawba ( a couple of Shift Supervisors) and they promise to get back to me with specifics.  I'll give you contact information as soon as I get to work.

[ChiefRocscooter]

Thanks for the info, I look fwd to "hearing" from you.  That is just what I was looking to find out!!!

Rob

[BuckyNuke]

i'm off for a testing/interview session with progress energy at robinson. hopefully tropical depression/storm/hurricane ernesto doesn't have other plans. I'm flying from Madison to Charlotte to Florence tomorrow, and i'm a little nervous.

[ChiefRocscooter]

Good luck and do not forget to come back and post some details to help us voyers out who hopeto be in your shoes soon!

Rob

[ChiefRocscooter]

I talked to a HR/ops person at a Duke plant recently and he basically told me they are looking to hire NLO's in next batch who do not want to be career NLO's.  They want guys who want to move up (which is good for me). He made point of menitioning that they wouild be building new plants and would be looking to man up to meet future needs.  So does anyone think they will be uping the numbers of RO/SRO they have so that in the future some can be shifted to new plants.  I quess those of you who have been around a "long" time can also talk about how the manning is implemented in new plants. 

[Fermi2]

LOL I doubt all that many of the very few Ops types here remember New Reactor Staffing!!! The closest I've been was my old plant was 5 years old when I started there.

Mike

[ChiefRocscooter]

So what is your best guess for how they would work it?

[BuckyNuke]

i just got an email from progress saying i passed my POSS test, so i'm hoping an offer is coming.

[Fermi2]

i just got an email from progress saying i passed my POSS test, so i'm hoping an offer is coming.

You mean an interview right?

[ChiefRocscooter]

No, I thionk he already interviewed with them.

Congrads, Did they tell you how you did and what do you thinnkhelped you with your preps?

Rob

[Roll Tide]

I talked to a HR/ops person at a Duke plant recently and he basically told me they are looking to hire NLO's in next batch who do not want to be career NLO's.  They want guys who want to move up (which is good for me). He made point of menitioning that they wouild be building new plants and would be looking to man up to meet future needs.  So does anyone think they will be uping the numbers of RO/SRO they have so that in the future some can be shifted to new plants.  I quess those of you who have been around a "long" time can also talk about how the manning is implemented in new plants. 

One method of staffing is to put a recruiting office in the town of a competing utility. At Sequoyah, they refer to it as, "When the bus to Palo Verde pulled out".

Another method is to increase RO/SRO beyond the current needs, and have them rotate until needed. CP&L once had 30% more licenses than slots on shift, junior RO's only got minimum hours on the board. I would guess that most of their extras are gone now, but it would be a goal to get a new plant ready.

TVA is manning up BFN1 (shutdown for 20 years) in a similar manner to a new start. Lots of trainees; they even built a 2nd simulator to handle all the training! 2 sister BWR units at the same site provide excellent experience.

Back in the day, people got a "cold license" (sometimes called a cert or certification) since they could not meet all requirements for a regular license (such as power changes). The NRC expected each unit to have a heavy sprinkling of previous "hot licenses" along with the cold license only operators. Which explains the bus......

[ChiefRocscooter]

Well hopefully they start pulling a bus up outside the Navy TAP program bulilding soon!!   Aslong as it is not a "short" bus I am ready to go!!

Rob!

[BuckyNuke]

i just got word that i won't be offered a position at robinson. there were 9 people at the testing/interview session that i went to... and who knows how many other sessions like that there were. everyone in the room was ex-navy, and over half of them had power industry experience.

i'm still waiting to hear from oyster creek. i interviewed for a reactor engineering position as well as a NLO position.

chief, could you tell me where these plants post their NLO class positions? i heard that vermont yankee is having a class this year as well. i just can't find any positions currently anywhere. i'm willing to relocate anywhere.

[ChiefRocscooter]

You can find them by looking at the company websites (listed as different possitions by different companies) use the map portion of this site to get an idea of who run the plant then target the company.

Rob