This is the time of year when hundreds of interns descend on U.S. Department of Energy sites around the country. They are eager and enthusiastic, ready to soak up new information gleaned from being out of the classroom and on the job. They are a critical part of the essential pipeline that will ensure the DOE's Environmental Management program will have enough qualified workers to fulfill its cleanup mission in the decades ahead.

In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, host Michael Butler talks with Susan Sparks and Shannon Potter, DOE and contractor intern program managers at Portsmouth/Paducah and Oak Ridge. 

Potter, UCOR program coordinator, discusses this year’s record number of interns (41) and the role they play in helping to fill the pipeline of future workers needed for environmental cleanup on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The UCOR intern program was recognized by parent company Amentum with its prestigious Athlon award, which highlighted UCOR's partnerships with major universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions.

Maurice Thompson discusses DOE's Career Pathways Program at DOE Headquarters. You will also meet Samina Mondal, an outstanding participant in the program who has quickly become a well-spoken advocate for the Environmental Management program. 

To access the podcast, go to https://youtu.be/gVO62NLNCzs?si=7S8ARjTI7-gJZWRT