Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
As the local sector Controller; I observed a hand off that was inbound East of the RNAV arrival. I then observed VFR traffic converging at the same altitude; so I called ZZZ Sector XX and advised him of the conflict. He did not take evasive action on his own. He said; 'What do you want me to do?' Although the aircraft was still under his control and in his airspace; I told him to turn the Brasilia EMB-120 to a 170 heading and expedite to 120. At this time the aircraft were approximaetly 8 miles apart and both at 15;300. The Controller acknowledged; but delayed the instructions; and did not transfer communications until both aircraft were in my airspace and converging at 12;500 with 2 miles of separation. I immediately issued a 'traffic alert' and a hard heading of 120 and the EMB-120 reported the traffic in sight. I then issued visual separation instructions and coordinated with adjacent sectors. I feel very strongly that VFR aircraft are ignored in the Center environment and the situation could have been catastrophic had ZZZ kept communications one minute longer. The EMB-120 did not report and R/A and will probably file a near mid-air collision report. Management was notified. I recommend all Centers take classes on obligations to miss air traffic including VFR. We are bound to keep IFR aircraft safe from other IFR traffic as well as VFR but I think this is ignored across the country. I also feel that the Center Controller was derelict in his duties and did not care that the aircraft were in conflict.
TRACON Controller described an IFR/VFR conflict resulting from the Center Controller's reported 'inaction' with regard to separating the aircraft in question.