Steven McCabe
AAS in Nuclear Power Technology, Bismarck State College
Nuclear Quality Evaluator, Dominion Nuclear
Steven McCabe has always loved working on cars. So much so, that upon graduation from high school, he attended a highly-regarded technical school in Pennsylvania for their automotive program. After successfully completing the program, he returned to Virginia and worked at a couple different local car dealerships in maintenance. However, within a couple years, he felt he’d hit a ceiling in his career path in automotive mechanics, and decided to explore a different career path that would provide more stability and advancement opportunities.
He had always heard good things about Dominion, and a friend let him know that the company was looking to grow their workforce because they were planning to build Unit 3 at the North Anna Power Station. Steven applied and was hired on as a Nuclear Quality Evaluator. His first two years with the company were dedicated to training, and Steven decided the time was also right to further his education.
“I had completed my automotive program, so I looked good on paper if I was going to apply for an automotive job, but I wanted a degree related to my new career,” Steven said. Through co-workers, he learned about the online AAS in Nuclear Power Technology (NUPT) program through Bismarck State College. “I spoke to my boss about the [NUPT] program and he was very supportive because Dominion is a strong supporter of continuing education for employees,” Steven added. Steven also appreciated the tuition reimbursement program Dominion provides to its employees, which helped to cover the cost of the program.
The timing for Steven to complete his program could not have been more perfect. He noted that, “A lot of the training we were doing at Dominion went hand in hand with what I was learning in the online NUPT program, which helped to reinforce the concepts and material.” Steven earned his degree in the spring of 2014, and said he is able to use the knowledge he gained in his daily work: “What I learned has helped when I do inspections and audits, as well as helped with a better understanding of the nuclear culture.”