Beginning early next month, West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah will offer an accelerated training program to prepare students for jobs as radiation control technicians with a Department of Energy (DOE) facility. Pay for most of these jobs starts around $35 per hour.
Those interested in the Radiation Control Technician Certificate Program can attend an informational meeting from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the WKCTC Emerging Technology Center.
Students who complete the college’s 12-week Radiation Control Technician Training Program can earn a certificate to prepare them for entry-level employment with prospective employers such as Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant subcontractors, hospitals and nuclear plants in other states.
Students will learn the basic principles of atomic and nuclear physics, radioactivity, radiation detection, environmental monitoring, proper use of instrumentation, equipment and techniques to conduct workplace and environmental surveys and the current technologies used in hazard control.
To be admitted to the certificate program, students must pass a background check, a drug screening, a physical capabilities assessment and demonstrate proficiency in math and reading. Students must successfully complete classroom training and pass a certification exam to be hired as a radiation control technician. Program completion and passing the exam does not guarantee an individual a job. It does, however, qualify them to seek employment as a radiation control technician.
Classes meet four evenings a week for 12 weeks. Various financial assistance options for class costs are available. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged.
For more information, contact Jim Pape at (270) 534-3370 or westkentucky-wfs@kctcs.edu. Information can also be found on the WKCTC Workforce Solutions Facebook page.
