Development of a Radiation Safety Certificate Program at an Urban Community College

One of the priorities to meet many of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s national security missions is the development of a highly skilled, diverse, and sustainable workforce in the areas of nuclear and radiation safety. Herein we describe our model to create a certificate program in radiation safety at the City University of New York - Queensborough Community College (QCC), one of the most diverse public two-year/junior colleges in the United States and a Minority Serving Institution. The certificate is part of an Associate’s in Science degree. A key component of this model is a sustainable collaboration between QCC and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). QCC faculty members and laboratory staff co-develop coursework and projects, as well as engage with underrepresented undergraduates at both sites. The students are enrolled in a winter (mini-semester) session at BNL where they attend lectures, engage in hands-on activities, tour the facilities and create points of contact with mentors that will host them for summer internships. The overall goal is to train the participants for entry level Radiation Control Technician positions at BNL and across the Department of Energy complex. The cohort model employed will be discussed in detail, focusing on our best practices, as well as strategies for the recruitment, training, and retention of undergraduates.