Reflections on Education and Training of Students in Conventional and Advanced Nuclear Technologies to Support Team Canada

Abstract

This paper will share my personal reflections and experiences in the education and training of nuclear students in Canada. Over the past decade, there has been tremendous activity in the Canadian nuclear landscape – consideration of several different classes of nuclear technologies, a bimodal distribution in the workforce, and extraordinary growth anticipated in the industry. One can view the role of universities in the education and training of students as being a supplier of talent to the nuclear industry; therefore, academia plays a role in this rapidly evolving landscape, which comes with it its own challenges. Some of which include: 1) not only is it important to train students, but the educators themselves need to be trained as well; 2) providing a throughput of students with appropriate skillsets to sufficiently support the industry’s needs; and 3) ensuring that the lessons of the past aren’t forgotten in the future. This paper is intended to share personal reflections with candor with the hope of taking a “Team Canada” approach to supplying a pipeline of nuclear talent for the Canadian nuclear industry.