A group that looks at economic development opportunities associated with capabilities at the Savannah River Site was recently selected as a finalist in the Post-Secondary Outreach category for the 2015 Georgia STEM Education Awards.
The group, the SRS Community Reuse Organization, or SRSCRO, is a nonprofit regional group focused on supporting job creation in a five-county region. The region includes Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties in South Carolina and Richmond and Columbia counties in Georgia.
The Georgia STEM Awards recognize schools, programs and companies for outstanding efforts and achievements in supporting and promoting the areas that make up STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math.
Specifically, the reuse organization was recognized for identifying STEM workforce skills needed to support existing and emerging technologies in its region. To align education programs with high technology job needs, a partnership with five colleges and universities was established, reuse officials wrote in a press release.
The partnership is called Advancing Nuclear Skills Regionally and includes Augusta Technical College, Georgia Regents University, Aiken Technical College, University of South Carolina Aiken and University of South Carolina Salkehatchie.
Partners developed seven new post-secondary programs to support technical workforce demands. College graduates are successfully entering technology careers because of the STEM-based degree programs made possible through this regional collaboration.
Mindy Mets, a member of the group, said STEM efforts were initiated in 2009 when the group commissioned a nuclear workforce study to define local impact of growth in the high-tech, nuclear industry.
"The study concluded that 10,000 new nuclear workers in 57 key job classifications were needed over 10 years locally," Mets said.
The announcement was released Monday by the Technology Association of Georgia and the association's Education Collaborative. The winner of the award will be announced during a special awards gala Aug. 28 at the Carlos Community Center, 2500 Clairmont Road N.E., Atlanta.
"It is so gratifying to see STEM education gaining momentum throughout the state of Georgia. The programs selected as finalists are leading the way in this effort and sharing best practices that will prepare our students for the challenges ahead," Michael Robertson, executive director of the education collaborative, said.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Georgia, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.