Palo Verde

[Palo verde AO]

My wife and I were just looking at houses online for the PHX area and about $#!+ ourselves.  Prices are anywhere from $250K on up for what you're looking for.

Yes that is true for Phoenix. Remember that the plant is 55 miles west of Phoenix.  The West Valley has afordable housing. Look at the Sundance in Buckeye AZ for starters. You need to be looking in the west Valley, in the towns of: Goodyear, Avondale,Litchfield Park and Peoria to name a few. For $250K you will get a 2500 square foot 4-5 bedroom with a pool and 3 car. I live In Peoria AZ. Yes the housing has gotten more expensive, but I think it is still afordable. Good Luck!!

[Duke Nuker]

I lived in Glendale, at Arrowhead and the prices of houses were great compared to where I live now. The cost of living wasn't bad at all.  I think I will apply, I don't think I could start at those wages, but maybe I can work something out with APS.

[Fermi2]

Hey Palo, I actually found that job posting on monster and applied. I'm a lil bit concerned about the pinnicle screening process. I had to answer "yes" to a question that I didn't want to answer yes to. The "have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor" question. I have a domistic assault charge hanging over my head from the beginning of 2000. Will this ba a disqualifier?

If you get convicted of a felony they can't hire you. There's no used lying, because with todays security checks they'll find out.

Mike

[Atomic_Punk]

Yes that is true for Phoenix. Remember that the plant is 55 miles west of Phoenix.  The West Valley has afordable housing. Look at the Sundance in Buckeye AZ for starters. You need to be looking in the west Valley, in the towns of: Goodyear, Avondale,Litchfield Park and Peoria to name a few. For $250K you will get a 2500 square foot 4-5 bedroom with a pool and 3 car. I live In Peoria AZ. Yes the housing has gotten more expensive, but I think it is still afordable. Good Luck!!

That's where we were looking and $250 get's you 1400-1500 sq ft,
3 br 2ba 2car grg.  I can't beleive how much housing has gone up since we left in '97. Check for yourself on the realtor's websites.
Also, I believe you did get a large amount of applicants the last time around.  I was there for one day of several for the POSS test and I believe there was at least a hundred people there just that day. 

[kwicslvr]

Yes that is true for Phoenix. Remember that the plant is 55 miles west of Phoenix.  The West Valley has afordable housing. Look at the Sundance in Buckeye AZ for starters. You need to be looking in the west Valley, in the towns of: Goodyear, Avondale,Litchfield Park and Peoria to name a few. For $250K you will get a 2500 square foot 4-5 bedroom with a pool and 3 car. I live In Peoria AZ. Yes the housing has gotten more expensive, but I think it is still afordable. Good Luck!!

Not to bad at all.  We are paying 250k here for a 900sqft 3 bedroom no garage with a basement.  That would be a nice upgrade there.  Though like someone said above, the pay is a little on the low side.  I started here at $26/hr right out of the Navy.  I'l  have to think quikly about this one. Thanks for the heads up though.

[Palo verde AO]

I believe you did get a large amount of applicants the last time around.  I was there for one day of several for the POSS test and I believe there was at least a hundred people there just that day. 

That is true, but not very many passed the POSS Test. Alot of the appplicants were local with no skills. Training some of the last class (NLO) that just bearly  passed the POSS  was a task. Out of the last 4-5 class, the Ex-Navy Nukes or prior Nuke experience really did well, not to say that some of the others that came off the street didn't do well, there are alway exeptions. The last class we hired alot of Palo Verde workers kids.  Some were Ex-Navy Nukes and some were not. The joke, when they started was "Whose your Daddy?" One's father was a Unit Department leader, he took alot of ribbing for that,but he was a Navy Nuke and stood tall and held his ground.

[Roll Tide]

I saw similar results at Turkey Point. MDCC and FIU graduates couldn't pass the POSS test, but ex-Navy Nukes almost all passed. Of course, the current employees' kids were prime candidates, since they had a tie to the area.

[Atomic_Punk]

Palo Verde AO,
How many "AO trainees" are they going to hire this time?  How many slots are being allotted for the workers kids this time?  Thank you in advance.

PS.  Give Dave Mallik a hard time for me.

[Palo verde AO]

How many "AO trainees" are they going to hire this time?  How many slots are being allotted for the workers kids this time? 

The rumor has it that there will be 13. There is no allotment for workers kids, I think we got all that we can get from that area. The last couple of times we have hire outside the company we had a hard time finding people that could pass the POSS test. There were alot of locals tring to hone in on the  AO job at the local Nuke Plant.

[Atomic_Punk]

The rumor has it that there will be 13. There is no allotment for workers kids, I think we got all that we can get from that area. The last couple of times we have hire outside the company we had a hard time finding people that could pass the POSS test. There were alot of locals tring to hone in on the  AO job at the local Nuke Plant.

That was sarcasm, in case ya couldn't smell it! (allotment for worker's kids)   From what I was told by those (supposedly) in the know, the reason a lot of us (who did pass the POSS, BTW) didn't get hired, was because of HR's "the children of the current employees will be more loyal to the company" policy. Ahh, nepotism (sp?).  Ya gotta love it!

[glowingreen]

Was anyone hurt by the falling crane?

[Palo verde AO]

Was anyone hurt by the falling crane?

No one was hurt. The crane operator and the "oiler" only got cuts and scrapes. I saw it after it happened and it was a sight to see. The seavan that it was lifting was flattened. Not too much plant damage.

[jcaron9999]

I received a letter from PVNGS that included the salary range and what I guessed was low...

Anyone out there at all working with the security people on the computer side?

[jcaron9999]

Does anyone out there know Chris Collins at Arizona Public Service (APS) or at Palo Verde Nuke plant?

[Roll Tide]

TVA also gives POSS and MASS. They have some helpful links on their website for those taking the exams. http://www.tva.gov/employment/om_jobs.htm

[morngrym]

Hey what time frame are they lookig to hire in?

[Palo verde AO]

Hey what time frame are they lookig to hire in?

NOW!!! The job posting closes on the 7th. We are goiing to start up a NLO class within the first half of 2005.

[morngrym]

I was asking because I get out on APR 15 or so depending on how much terminal they let me take so my question is will that be too late for this opening. I believe I am pretty qualified. I am a EM1 6yrs and out. I will have completed all my classes for the TESC degree but wont be able to apply for graduation till sept. What do you think?

[dbandcjs]

I just submitted my resume via monster.com.  Do you know if APS offers any relocation?  I am an 8 year MM1 nuke, and I am currently living in Orlando FL.  My wife and I want to get back out west without having to go the Cali.  This sounds like an ideal opportunity.

Thanks

Chuck

[jcaron9999]

Thanks!  I've printed out all of the information those links point to (at EEI) and I'm going through the Barron's aptitude and spatial workbook.

[s_Phoenix]

How often do they hire there for this type of job?  I dont get untill spring 06 and that is one of the plants that i would like to look at working at.

[Palo verde AO]

Hey what time frame are they lookig to hire in?

The class is suppose to start the first week in March.

[Palo verde AO]

I just submitted my resume via monster.com.  Do you know if APS offers any relocation?  I am an 8 year MM1 nuke, and I am currently living in Orlando FL.  My wife and I want to get back out west without having to go the Cali.  This sounds like an ideal opportunity.

Thanks

Chuck

Sorry it took so long to get back.The people that are doing the hiring are on Monday thru Thursday. They had a meeting today on the new hires. There will be little relocation money and it will be on a case by case basis. If they really want you they will pay some. What he was talking about is that APS will NOT buy your house, rent you a house, and stuff like that. He said that they my pony up a couple of thousand, if you are a hot runner. I said that was better than nothing. This job hire is totally outside, to date they have only got about a hundred resumes...come on people apply!!!!

[Palo verde AO]

How often do they hire there for this type of job?  I dont get untill spring 06 and that is one of the plants that i would like to look at working at.

Lately it has been happening every 2-3 years. In operations there are alot of people that will be retireing in the next 5-10 years.We tired the in house thing for AO's and we got people that were in their 40's. We are looking at getting some young blood in the operations dept. I went in the Navy when I was 17 and got out after 6 years, and started here 2 months later. I have been here for a little over 15 years. When we get a young Navy Nuke we can mold them, not like getting a old timer from another plant that is set in there ways, not saying that is bad. This last class that started about 2 years ago had acouple of Navy Nukes and they are doing real fine. As to your spring 06 departure, that looks like a great time to get out and get a job here, you might get a few months off to goof around!!!

[JnyMac]

I work at Palo Verde as an Operator. You will have no problem with the salary ranges.  The operator trainee salary advances up quickly over the 18 month period it takes to get fully qualified.  You would be working a 5 week rotating shift with days and nights.  I found the best study for the POSS test is the ASVAB.  You can pick it up at Borders or Barns and Noble.