More jobs coming to the CSRA following the announcement of the completion of Plant Vogtle’s new units

BURKE COUNTY, G.A. (WJBF)- Federal and industry officials marking the completion of units three and four by making at plant Vogtle. Not only does this accomplishment mark the finish of major clean energy for those living in Burke County, but it’s also doing so much more.

The U.S Secretary of Energy, along with President Biden’s Climate Advisor, visited plant Vogtle to highlight the Biden Administration’s efforts to bolster nuclear energy.

A project that focuses on clean, sustainable energy for those living in Burke County, has expanded beyond the area.

“No longer do you have to attend a four-year degree and incur that. Simply go to a technical school, get a two-year degree, or you can take on an apprenticeship with one of our trade unions…,” Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson said.

After the visit to plant Vogtle, Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm along with Mayor Garnett Johnson and school leaders from across the area met to discuss the Workforce Hub Initiative.

“With unit three and four, this is clean base-low power it is gonna be utterly necessary as we move forward as a nation, as we see AI, these data centers, the increased demand for power from electrification, and all of these factories that are coming online. So, we need clean-base low power– nuclear is one of the solutions,” Sec. Granholm said.

This roundtable included conversation on new job opportunities and apprenticeship programs for those in high school and college in the area.

“Apprenticeships are so important to this event, it shows young people a pathway out of high school through technical school, or through technical school, high paying jobs…,” Mayor Johnson said.

Many new companies like Syensqo, GF Casting Solutions and others are rooting themselves in Augusta and making sure those in the community have access to the opportunities, now and in the near future.

“We are ramping up the whole facility only in 2026 so there’s a little bit of time still. So, what we need is people really– besides the commitment to GF, besides the commitment of what we’re doing– what we need is people who are into robotics, people who maybe like to work on cars, on the weekends and like to work on machines during the week. So, that’s what they could do at GF Casting Solutions,” Head of Talent at North America GF Corporation Heinrich Meier said.

The White House announced the Workforce Hub Initiative in 2023 as a way to help ensure Georgians have access to high paying jobs.

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