STEM internships bring new talent to Paducah's DOE site

Employers at the U.S. Department of Energy Paducah site interacted recently with the next generation workforce at the Murray State University career fair for students from science, technology, engineering, mathematics, also known as STEM, and occupational safety and health, or OSH.  

DOE’s Deactivation and Remediation Contractor, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, recruited interns and built on internship program successes at the Paducah site. 

“Recruiting the next generation of employees in the STEM and Occupational Safety and Health fields is a high priority for DOE across the complex,” said Portsmouth Paducah Project Office Manager Joel Bradburne. “The internship program at the Paducah site provides an opportunity for students to gain experience that hopefully translates into a full-time career with DOE or our contractors." 

FRNP Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Tristan Mathis initiated her career as an intern at the Paducah site in 2019. “My internship sparked an interest for me to want to come back (to the site) and learn more,” said Mathis. “Everyone I worked with during my internship contributed to my professional growth and staying local was important to me, so when I had an opportunity to apply for a full-time position, I took it.” 

Mathis and many other interns have leveraged the knowledge and experience they acquired during their internships to pursue other opportunities at the site.

“The internship program brings plenty of enthusiasm for our employees,” said FRNP Program Manager Myrna Redfield. “Internships are one of the tools we use for workforce development at FRNP, as we continue to see young students want to come back and work at the site.”

Those interested in applying for future internships may visit https://www.fourriversnuclearpartnership.com/careers/internship .