EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) is looking to the future as it prepares the next generation of employees.
Office of Environmental Management
September 3, 2019
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RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA) is looking to the future as it prepares the next generation of employees.
MSA’s college co-op, or cooperative, intern program offers local students an opportunity to work at the Hanford Site while earning their degrees. Co-op students work year-round — part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer — in areas such as engineering, finance, and project management.
“MSA’s co-op internship is a great opportunity for students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-world situations,” said Kyle Rankin, RL chief engineer who has mentored students in the program. “For Hanford, it provides fresh, out-of-the-box thinking from students who want to contribute to the cleanup efforts.”
This year’s co-op program included 24 students, and seven of those students were part of the MSA engineering organization. Five spring 2019 graduates were hired out of the program into full-time positions.
“MSA Engineering has used the program because it gives us a chance to identify, train, and recruit high-quality employees,” said Grant Ryan, MSA’s chief engineer. “Each intern we select becomes part of an integrated team through training, facility familiarization, and activities of increasing complexity and responsibility.”
Since 2010, 26 co-op students have been hired as full-time employees at MSA.