Check out the video about the RCT program in collaboration with USW Local Union 8-550 and Paducah Gaseaous Diffusion Plant.
The United Steelworkers Tony Mazzocchi Center (USWTMC) for Health, Safety and Environmental Education partnered with local organizations in Paducah, Ky., to offer free Radiological Control Technician (RCT) training for individuals wanting to fill positions at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Department of Energy (DOE) plant, existing workers wanting to cross-train or change career paths, and/or individuals interested in furthering their education. The training is an eight-month program which covers math, chemistry, physics, biology and site-specific material.
This program was first implemented in 2017 at the Portsmouth site when a need for RCTs was identified. In 2022, USW Local Union 8-550 in Paducah adapted this program to their site to also address the need for RCTs. The DOE's deactivation and remediation mission for the site began in 2014, with the union involved in ensuring employee safety. Six senior RCTs from the Paducah site taught the course, as they are the ones who know the daily operations of an RCT at the plant. At the DOE sites, RCTs perform monitoring of personnel, work areas and items leaving radiological areas for the control of exposures from internal and external sources. They also prepare and maintain radiological documentation and monitors to detect radiation levels and contamination. Out of the 20 students that completed this training program, 19 were hired on site in Paducah as junior RCTs. This program has positively impacted people's lives, providing opportunities for knowledgeable individuals who may not have had a chance otherwise.
