Press Release

November 8, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE TO AREA STUDENTS

Result of Collaborative Effort of Monroe County Community
College, Ohio’s Lakeland Community College and DTE Energy;
 Information Sessions Set for Nov. 15, 2007 at MCCC

MONROE, Mich. – Through the collaborative efforts of Monroe County Community College, Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio, and DTE Energy, a nuclear engineering technology program is now available to area students.

Beginning Winter Semester, students will have the opportunity to earn an associate of applied science degree in nuclear engineering technology from LCC by completing the initial 48 credit hours of coursework at MCCC and the remaining 24 credit hours of LCC coursework on the MCCC campus via distance learning.

The LCC coursework will be delivered to MCCC through an interactive Video Over IP system that was purchased with the support of a $35,500 grant from the DTE Energy Foundation.  Video Over IP is a combination of full duplex audio and video transformations that allows people in two different locations to see and hear each other as if participating in a face-to-face conversation.  The Video Over IP system will be supplemented by a Web-based learning system.

DTE Energy has been an active partner in helping to evaluate the viability and value of this program and in its implementation.  The company will continue to serve as a vital colleague on the advisory committee that will evaluate the program’s success.

“This innovative educational collaboration was spurred by the nuclear energy industry’s need for a highly educated workforce, combined with a projected shortage of nuclear professionals,” said Dr. David E. Nixon, president of Monroe County Community College.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. will need 44 percent more electricity by 2020.  To help meet this demand, the nuclear energy industry has calculated that 50,000 megawatts of new nuclear power plant capability and an additional 10,000 megawatts of capability from improving existing plants will be required by 2020.

Many of today’s nuclear energy professionals are reaching retirement age and qualified applicants are needed to take their place.  According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, about 30 percent of the nuclear energy workforce will retire in the next five years.

The energy industry has been designated as a target high growth industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.  This means that it is projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries; or it is an existing or emerging business being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skill sets for workers.

“The collaboration of MCCC, LCC and DTE Energy will address these needs by focusing on educating and training both new and incumbent workers,” said Parmeshwar (Peter) Coomar, dean of MCCC’s Industrial Technology Division.

The LCC nuclear engineering technology degree is accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering; therefore, prospective students must meet rigorous performance standards in the areas of math and science.

Coursework provided by MCCC will include electronics, math, chemistry, thermo-fluid sciences, physics, English and other general education courses. 

The technical course curriculum taught by LCC is designed to train students to work as technicians in operations, mechanical maintenance, electrical maintenance, chemical laboratory, health physics and instrumentation and control maintenance.  The curriculum also prepares individuals for employment as maintenance technicians in any manufacturing or production facility. 

In addition to the coursework, industry internship opportunities will be available through DTE Energy at the company’s Fermi 2 Power Plant.   Ed Kokosky, Fermi 2 training manager, said the internships will provide valuable nuclear power plant experience for select students from the program.  “We are looking forward to working with the college to provide a hands-on experience for some of the nuclear technology students,” he said. “Our company and the industry will need well-trained workers to fill existing jobs as current workers retire and new jobs as the industry expands.  Students who are selected for the Fermi 2 internships will have an opportunity to enhance their technical skills while also learning first hand about the industry’s emphasis on safety, security and attention to detail.”

There are more than 100 nuclear power plants in the U.S., and graduates of this program would be trained to work at any domestic nuclear power plant. 

Although MCCC’s Winter Semester starts on January 11, 2008, the nuclear engineering technology program will begin January 15, 2008 to mirror the LCC academic calendar.  Two courses will be offered during Winter Semester via Video Over IP technology with LCC.

The class is expected to begin with a maximum of 25 students, and additional students may start the program in subsequent semesters.

For additional information about the program, please call the Office of Admissions and Guidance Services at (734) 384-4104.

For more information on the web, visit the Industrial Technolgy Home page...