NLO Training

[ChiefRocscooter]

Oh yea look at Southern Nuclear they list some jobs for Nuclear Techs pay is low but I am told it can be an entry level for someone with no Exp (which is you right??)  What is your school background in??

[hamsamich]

try indian point, they will take anybody    actually, they kinda will......

[BuckyNuke]

B.S. Nuclear Engineering @ Wisconsin.... i'm having trouble hearing back from anyone.

[ChiefRocscooter]

How long have you been looking?  Your background is only college? I am not sure I can give you any advice more than keep plugging as I am in totally different background / sit as you but hopefully you keeping tabs on the different company sites. (You qualified for many position I will not be so maybe you could start with company and work into ops???)

Rob

[ChiefRocscooter]

You know Duke has lots of entry level Eng positions listed. Also I have noticed that this is a slow moving field (from personal observation) when it comes to hiring many people say they talk to companies then have lull of weeks while they wait for interviews.

Rob

[Fermi2]

Bucky,

If I may make a suggestion why not send a PM to NucEng for Hire. Mark took the advice of some industry SROs and used his own hard work to get a job as an Instant SRO at one of the Entergy Plants. He's a bright guy, asked good questions, would not take the easy answer if he felt he could get a better one and he might have a blue print for another Big 10er to use.

Mike

[BuckyNuke]

he hooked me up with a link to some entergy NLO online applications. I also figured out how to access the careers page at duke energy correctly... now it is apparent that they are hiring a ton of people. at first it seemed like they were only hiring for 3 positions, but that's for some company that they bought out.

i also hit up southern and NMC (close to home).

[BoilerHP]

I wanted to revive this thread cause it seems fitting of a place for my question...
I am start in-processing on Tuesday, but I was curious to get suggestions, tips, or advice on note taking/studying for operations. I am a college grad and I am sure this will require a slightly different approach to learn. What is the typical "class room" setting like? Is it common to use audio recording devices to record the instructors discussions? Do people just buy note pads, bring laptops (really don't see this one applying here), or just "shut up and listen"?

I would love any and all in put on how many of you got through operations training.

Thanks in advance!

[Fermi2]

How you did it in college won't work. Once systems starts the material comes at you too fast and is too complex. I've never taken a note in my life, nor do I mark up prints, I simply listen or just read on my own, to be honest usually my self study was about 2 weeks ahead of what was being taught in the classroom. Many utilities issue laptops so you won't need books, though many print out stuff to make it easier to follow.
I've seen lots of guys take their notes on the prints and schematics, it seems to work well for them.
Others highlight the texts. It all depends on what works for the person I guess.
Keep in mind most tests are 60% or so new material and 40% past material.
Regardless of the plant or requirements you best learn how to draw the systems from memory at least flow paths through major components.

Mike

[BoilerHP]

Thanks Mike,
Your input is certainly valued and taken to heart. I actually for the most part don't take notes, I found sitting and paying close attention I tend to retain more. This is why I asked about recording audio. It sounds like taking the time to learn how to draw out the systems is a great way to really master this difficult topic, I may have to give my good ol' dad a call about this sorta things since he has some experience on it. From what I gathered from earlier posts, they tend to give allocated study time? How often are there typically tests or quizzes on different material... or am I way off on how training is done? I haven't really been given any information on this aspect yet.

Thanks again.

[Nuclear Renaissance]

I wanted to revive this thread cause it seems fitting of a place for my question...
I am start in-processing on Tuesday, but I was curious to get suggestions, tips, or advice on note taking/studying for operations. I am a college grad and I am sure this will require a slightly different approach to learn. What is the typical "class room" setting like? Is it common to use audio recording devices to record the instructors discussions? Do people just buy note pads, bring laptops (really don't see this one applying here), or just "shut up and listen"?

I would love any and all in put on how many of you got through operations training.

Thanks in advance!

I have a background similar to yours, and am wrapping up plant systems training for my 3rd different plant (Westinghouse PWR - nonlicensed level; BWR/6, nonlicensed and licensed level; BWR/4 - licensed level). Here's what works for me (emphasis on "for me", as you'll need to find your own study niche):

This assumes you are provided with a laptop, as most plants are now doing, though there's no reason you can't do it with pad/pencil and a little more patience. Before the upcoming lecture, I take that topic's "system description" (the Training dept writeup on that topic, your plant may call it something else), and I create a bulleted outline in Word of the key points, including its bases, component details, instrumentation setpoints, and overall system operation characteristics. This usually ends up being a page or two for each system. Then, when the actual lecture takes place, it is real easy to augment/clarify/correct that outline file while the instructor talks and emphasizes what he/she chooses to emphasize. You can also copy the high-value graphics from what is usually an instructor's Powerpoint presentation, and paste them into your file. I keep hardcopy printouts of the most current revision for each of these files on hand in a small binder, and since they are condensed, it's real easy to get a good system review in 5 minute bites.
I also create "daily affirmation" sheets of the real heavy-hitter stuff, usually Excel tables of major-component power supplies, containment isolation setpoints, scram setpoints, etc. I look at these dailiy, as this is the stuff that you want to become second-nature.
If you don't try to condense the high volume of information you're about to get, you'll end up having to rely on what you heard in class, backed by hundreds - if not thousands - of Training dept-provided system writeup and procedure pages, which is almost too scatter-shot to be an efficient means of review.

[NukeNub]

I'll throw in my take on NLO training at an Exelon East Coast BWR.

You'll most likely only get paid for 40 hours. About 2-3 hours a day have built in study time/lunch.

I took a clue from the licensed class upstairs and came in on the weekends to study (pay or no pay, it worked in Orlando).

We received formal lectures for all systems, subsystems, etc. with built in objectives and references. We also had what were the "house notes" which were a combination simplified one-line with embedded notes (set points, alarms, automatic features, trips, interlocks, etc). We also had P and IDs which to me are more useful in the plant than they are in the classroom. IMHO, a P and ID can be too overwhelming when you are first familiarizing yourself with complex systems.

Most of the lectures came with power points.

I used the skills I honed in the Navy. I actively listened to the lecturers, highlighted information they repeated a few times, used mnemonics, and made prodigious use of dry-erase and white boards to write out objectives.

A lot of the guys quizzed each other. Use as many senses you can to learn stuff: read it, hear it, speak it, see it.

If you have your dosemitry, get with an NLO on rounds and walk systems down. Go see the stuff that is talked about in the lectures. Make it real.

Not sure how your training is broken down, but we did classroom for several weeks, broke for 5 weeks plant familiarization, and then came back for more classrooms. After formal classroom training we went to the plant with our qual books for OJT/TPE.

OJT: On the job training
TPE: Task Performance Evaluations

At the end of classroom training I had the highest average out of 20 (>97%). I am pretty sure I was not the smartest, but hand's down I was the most motivated and in my experience, motivation and enthusiasm will get you far.

Good luck.

[Fermi2]

NukeNub makes a great point. There's nothing like system walkdowns. Now In a BWR some of the stuff is behind shielded walls but much of it is accessible. During my NLO Training at Fermi (A BWR 4) and my SRO Class at Sequoyah (PWR) I was a fanatic about walking down systems. I'd start at the source, draw a rough sketch as I walked it down then compare it with prints. Now being ex Navy I had a advantage as I knew where systems began and ended, for example, all power plants have condensers, find the condenser you can find the rest of virtually everything in the BOP/Secondary. Usually after class I'd spend a couple hours a day tracing systems, then about 6 to 8 hours on the weekend. The weekend time was at Sequoyah because I didn't grow up there, I felt I needed the extra time plus I wanted to show respect to the people who had grown up there by learning the plant from the ground up. I think I spend about 400 to 500 hours of my own time walking down systems, plus during systems we had 4 hours on Friday of self study which I used to walk down systems. During my later walkdowns I walked down major procedures that NLOs would perform. (I did this during my NLO training at Fermi2) Some say this is overkill but when it comes to learning the plant I'm very Old School and it's worked.
Sequoyah gives tests every two weeks, plus a comp at the end of each phase.

Mike

[BoilerHP]

Thanks for all the wealth of information. I certainly hope more people take those last few posts into consideration as they start the same process as me. So it sounds like the technology in training is a little more up to date then I was giving it credit, I should adapt well with this aspect and there were certainly some overlapping between the replies.

1) Review and study material ahead of time
2) Create outlines of said material ^
3) Pay close attention to lectures and add key fundamentals and points to prepared notes
4) Constantly re-review notes created above, and notes supplied from the training department.
5) Test individually and in a group settings on a regular basis (couple times a week?)
6) Frequent walkdowns with OPS personell (preferably weekly)

Thanks again everyone.

[Nuclear Renaissance]

At least initially, the time you spend in the plant is going to feel like it has limited effectiveness, just because it will just be a lot of pieces-parts to you. At some point in your plant systems training, though, you may start to understand the plant as an intergated machine, and things you see out there will start to make more sense, and the value will be much more of an impact. When you eventually get out of the classroom and into your On the Job Training, knowing where things are is often half the battle.

[Fermi2]

I wouldn't count on Ops Guys being available to walk down anything, they're usually pretty busy and when they're not the last thing they'll want to do is walk something down with a NUB. If you can't find something then ask where it is. Also do NOT pick up any dose during a walkdown.

Sometime during your systems training, usually about week 8 or so there's a sudden realization about how everything integrates. After that it's pretty easy. Also what you have to know as an NLO is different than as an RO. NLO is mostly facts, RO is more integration and how does the system work when something is broken.
Don't think too hard on this stuff. Usually your first inclination is the right one.

Mike

[BoilerHP]

Mike,
As a health physicist and working in RP... I am all to familiar with dose. I did lots of walkthroughs in the plant when I was in RP and I know where there are higher dose level areas (I also check the dose surveys before entering the RCA...) I know how much those RP guys work on doses... I would hate to be the guy that blows their goal over a few mRem for no reason.

Thanks for the heads up about week 8, I look forward to that experience

[BoilerHP]

All,
I was wondering if it is "common" for NEO trainees to be released during the 6 month probation period? What is the typical retention rate of an NEO class? I ask since I have a short term lease until early may, and trying to determine what to do with housing for the future.

Thanks in advance

[NukeNub]

I think you will be ok. Out of 20, we have lost 2 so far in the past year. 1 was a nuke eng who went to be a nuke eng and one failed out on medical.

Right now 1 is in a sort of academic probation because of he can't seem to pass his watch evaluations or JPMs (job performance measures).  I think he has one more chance to pass.

Like I stated earlier, if you give it an enthused effort, you're safe.

[BoilerHP]

Thanks,
I had the impression that was the case, but still... I guess I can go forward into the process of house buying (I couldn't decide what type of smiley to insert here)

Thanks NukeNub... like the name for the record

[BoilerHP]

So I am all ready done with in-processing but I can't be badged until I have my clinical on Thursday with a Psychologist since I will be in "critical" areas. I arranged to get some studying material to go over tomorrow since I have nothing else to do, overall a great day and enjoyed all the "flack" I got for being non-navy and a Boilermaker in Illini country... from what I can tell I may be the only in that position in the class but its going to be a blast!

Thanks again everyone, and for the record we will not be getting laptops. That is something they are hoping to get EOs in the next few years.

[davesally]

Just wondering, it was said that one person failed the medical or background. How hard can it be to pass these items.

[Nuclear NASCAR]

It's not that difficult to pass.  The key is total TRUTHFUL disclosure, as has been said many times before.  I have seen someone lose their job after a few weeks employment when it was discovered that they had fudged on their college education record.  They had claimed a degree that they didn't quite have yet.  Had they just stated what they had completed so far they would still be here working.

This may not be the case but it is a scenario.

[davesally]

I have a green card is that going to be a problem with background or security clearance. I don't have any convictions and amin good shape.

[DSO]

Anyone have any knowledge of training period--overtime after qualified--and/or pay progressions at SONGS for NLO's?