Frequently Asked Questions

Parents Frequently Asked Questions

What is the school’s mission?

Creating the next generation of Valve Technicians for the Nuclear Power Industry.

The Crane Nuclear Valve Institute provides hands-on, practical training with industry expert instructors. Learn from the pros in the field and be a part of the green energy revolution.

What will the instructor expect of my child?

The expectations for students will be punctuality, active engagement in class and courteous behavior.

Is the school accredited?

The school is not accredited at this time. The first step in accreditation is obtaining authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Post secondary Education Commission (GNPEC). Due to the fact that we are offering the program free of charge for the first two years, we are not required to operate within GNPEC approval. We will initiate the accreditation process in 2025.

What is the student-teacher ratio?

The maximum number of students in a class session is 8. This is to allow for enhanced teacher/student
interaction and hands-on experience.

How much is the tuition?

Tuition is free for the 2023 and 2024 sessions.

What type of student will be most successful at the school?

A student that has mechanical or electrical aptitude, is a basic starting point. We also seek students that have a high level of personal accountability, effective communication, attention to detail and can work well on a team.

What does a typical school day look like?

A typical school day will begin at 8:00 A.M. with review and addressing any questions, thoughts or concerns about material that has been covered previously during the course. A discussion of the days goals and expectations will follow. Then the instructor will move forward into the curriculum. Lunch will be one hour from 12 noon to 1:00 pm. The day will end around 3:30pm much like it began, with questions about the days topics and goals being set for the following day along with at-home study expectations. Throughout the week the students will be given written knowledge checks to further aid the instructor in assessing each students individual needs.

What if my child is sick? What should he/she do?

Your child must stay home from school if they have a contagious disease. They may be contagious before showing any signs of illness. Some contagious diseases include:

  • Covid-19
  • Chickenpox
  • The flu
  • Pinkeye
  • Strep throat
  • A cold

As a general rule, your child should not go to school if they have:

  • A fever over 100.4
  • Displaying signs of flu, such as weakness and tiredness
  • Diarrhea
  • Throwing up- more than 2 times in a 24-hour period
  • Coughing that disrupts normal activity
  • Wheezing or shortness of breath
  • Pain from earache, headache, sore throat, or recent injury
  • Yellow or green drainage from the eye(s)

During orientation, your child will receive details on the steps to take if they must call out. He/she is expected to follow-up with the instructor on missed assignments. Our expectation is that missed assignments are completed within 48 hours of the student’s return date.

What type of job can my child expect to obtain after completing CNVI?

The CNVI equips students with the knowledge and skills to enter the Nuclear Industry as a Valve Technician Helper (apprentice). Although students do not enter the program with a contract of commitment to Crane Nuclear, our goal is for graduating students to work for us. However, the skills that they acquire during the six-week program does equip them to seek employment with other companies.

What certification will my child receive at the end of CNVI?

The CNVI equips students with the knowledge and skills to enter the Nuclear Industry as a Valve Technician Helper (apprentice). In order to work as a “Certified” Valve Technician, an individual must have twelve months of relatable experience. Consequently, at the end of their 6-week program with CNVI, each student will receive a “Certificate of Completion”. Graduated students will receive work via our Power Plant Outages in the Spring and Fall. The opportunity to work these Spring and Fall outages will help them accumulate additional experience and get them closer to meeting the 12 month requirement for certification. We encourage graduates to use the time in between outages, to work in roles that count towards “relatable experience”.

Working in the field

What type of benefits do you offer in the field?

We do not offer benefits. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, the majority of our workers are contractors. Note: they do not fill out 1099’s, as our payroll company addressing taking out taxes for them. As contractors gain experience, and move up in classification, they have the opportunity to be considered for a full time position with Crane Nuclear. Full Time status is
accompanied by benefits.

How much work can my child expect?

This depends on the number of outages during a season. Our goal is to provide 2-3/outages, however, there are seasons where outage timing only allows us to assign one outage. Note: this is the exception,
not the norm.

What type of transportation/lodging arrangements are there from home to site/site to site?

Many of the sites are within driving distance of Metro Atlanta. We offer Mobilization/Demobilization pay (tax-free) that assists with transportation costs. The amounts are currently $500 in and $500 out. Many of our Valve Technicians drive to our further sites too because they want to visit different parts of the United States. Some even travel with their campers. In the event that a Power Plant is not within a reasonable driving distance, we provide the flight and rental car; however, this negates the Mobilization/Demobilization money.

Is it safe to work at a nuclear power plant?

The Nuclear Power Industry has a safety culture second to none. Before being granted access to a nuclear generating facility, individuals must pass all safety related training with 80% or higher. Some of these topics include but are not limited to:

Safety clearance boundaries (signing on to the protected component to be worked on and what that includes), Radiation worker practices, Working in different industrial situations, Human performance tools (stop when unsure, questioning attitude, situational awareness to name a few), Procedural use and adherence. In addition NO ONE works alone. EVER.

Crane Nuclear puts safety and family above all else as a company, with word and practice in the field, alongside the nuclear industry’s stringent safety protocols.

Is there a citizenship requirement to work at a Nuclear Power Plant?

Anybody with proper documentation and immigration status (or work Visa), can work in a Nuclear Power Plant. We will answer individual questions regarding citizenship requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Emergency Valve Parts & Machining: 800-272-6315