vyEPA www.epa.gov EPA-540-FS-09-129 MAKING A HblFFEMBMCEIN THE COMMUNITY: The Superfund Job Training Initiative at the Savannah River Superfund Site This fact sheet provides an overview of the SuperJTI job training program at the Savannah River site. Introduction The Savannah River Site Superfund Job Training Initiative (SRS SuperJTI) is a job training program that provided career development opportunities for 20 trainees living near the Savannah River site in south-central South Carolina and eastern Georgia. Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Imani Group (a community organization focused on environmental justice issues and leadership training), and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (the prime site contractor), SRS SuperJTI provided local job-seekers with new skills and work experience. EPA's goal is to help the community create job opportunities and partnerships that remain long after the site's cleanup has been completed. Candidate Outreach and Recruitment: January - May 2009 SRS SuperJTI staff hosted four community meetings and five candidate orientations over a five-month period to publicize the job training program opportunity and attract interested candidates. Because the site borders several communities in the Central Savannah River Area, the meetings and orientation sessions were held in different locations across Aiken, Barnwell, and Allendale counties in South Carolina and Richmond County in Georgia. More than 350 people attended the program's five orientation sessions. Courtesy SRS Savannah River Site (SRS) History SRS is a former nuclear materials fabrication facility located adjacent to the Savannah River in Aiken and Barnwell counties, South Carolina. SRS operated from 1950 to 1988, producing primarily tritium and piutonium-239 in reactors built on site. These materials were used for the creation of nuclear weapons as well as for the space program and medical and industrial research. Past disposal practices of chemical and radioactive wastes led to soil and ground water contamination near SRS. In order to ensure cleanup, U.S. EPA listed SRS on its National Priorities List of contaminated sites in 1989. Cleanup at the site has been ongoing since 1989 and is scheduled for completion in 2025. Candidate Screening Process: May 2009 Afterthe program's orientation sessions, almost 200 candidates continued with the program's screening process. Following completion of a preliminary testing stage, 113 candidates were invited to the second stage - called "try outs" - of the program's screening process. The program tryouts included: • candidate participation in leadership, team building, and role playing activities. • basic physical fitness sessions. • Observation by 20 evaluators representing the projects" partners. Following the tryouts, SRS SuperJTI and its partners selected 20 trainees to participate in the SRS SuperJTI training. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Technical Assistance Services for Communities ^reenville^ —v South Carolina % Columbia S* Q V Aikfin v Athens Atlanta Augusta Georgia Savannah ------- SRS SuperJTI Training: June - July 2009 Job Placement at SRS The SRS SuperJTI training consisted of two parts: • Lifeskills Training: Trainees learned the basic life skills needed to excel as employees at SRS. The training covered topics such as effective work habits and cultural competence, as well as the need to follow regulations. • Technical Training: Trainees completed courses in environmental cleanup and safety, including a 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operator course and a CPR/First Aid course as well as math and computer training. For more information on the SRS SuperJTI training, please contact: Tiffany Reed treed@e2inc.com (803) 593-9954 ext. 1583 After graduation, trainees were placed into positions as production operators and material handlers with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions at SRS. Graduates will be mentored by project partners for one year after training completion. Graduates may continue employment at SRS beyond the one- year mentor period or change jobs. Upon completion of the program, trainees possess the marketable skills needed to become valuable members of the community's workforce. What is the SuperJTI Program? www.epa.g0v/su perfund/community/sfjti For more information on EPA's SuperJTI Program, please contact: Karen Martin SuperJTI Program Manager martin, kareril@epa.gov (703) 603-9925 The Superfund Job Training Initiative, or SuperJTI, supports job training programs in communities affected by nearby Superfund sites and encourages the employment of trainees at local site cleanups. The SuperJTI program combines extensive classroom instruction with hands-on work experience for each participant. Upon completion of the program, each participant possesses the marketable skills required to become a valuable member of the community's workforce. EPA offers SuperJTI training through its Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) contract at no cost to training participants. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Technical Assistance Services for Communities Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper ------- |