Idaho National Lab on Facebook

Social Media opens the “site” to better communication

Taking a page literally from the play book of Sec. of Energy Steven Chu, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has launched into the world of social media with a Facebook page.

The new presence on the Internet is a robust effort. It contains information designed to reach the next generation of scientists and engineers who are needed to advance the lab’s R&D missions. [see INL press release for details]

The Facebook page includes information on job opportunities, what it is like to work at the lab, and information about Idaho Falls and the region. It covers the lab’s missions in the signature areas of nuclear energy, energy & environment, and national/homeland security.

There are photos, videos, and links to the lab’s Flickr and YouTube sites. Plus, you can get contact information for recruiters and the public affairs staff if you want information on careers or the lab’s programs.

New energy degree programs at ISU

If you are wondering how to get the skills to launch a career in the rapidly growing energy sector, take a look at the two new degree programs at Idaho State University (ISU) [INL press release].

The academic programs will help train students to work in the energy sector. The Idaho National Laboratory helped design the programs in cooperation with ISU.

One of the programs will prepare mechanical engineers for the nuclear, coal, gas and renewable industries. Another positions students in the wind engineering program to manage construction and maintenance of wind turbines.

The programs are part of ISU's Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, created in 2007 with grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation to address needs for new workers in the U.S. energy sector.

Richard Holman, deputy director of the ISU center, says the program "offers a distinctive element of hands-on training you can't get anywhere else."

Check it out.

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