Texas' Efforts to Increase the Nuclear Technology Workforce -11407

The number of nuclear-related programs of higher learning has decreased in the last decade or so, with many programs either closing or being reassigned. This means fewer people going through these programs, which means fewer people in the workforce with these skills. The need for highly-skilled people is increasing and will continue to do so, creating a gap in the supply and demand. There are several Texas colleges that have formed a consortium with nuclear energy partners to bring students into the nuclear profession. This nationwide program has resulted in about 40 such partnerships between industry and the local schools across the country [1]. The Nuclear Power Institute (NPI), located at Texas A&M University, has received a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, and Brazosport College has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for these and other schools to expand and improve their programs dealing with nuclear technologies. The latter has distributed the funds among five schools. These grants were for equipment, updating courses, and preparing new curricula that conforms to the standardized curriculum that was developed by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Waco has five departments participating in the grant. With the combined efforts of all the departments and all the schools, Texas hopes to be able to provide the skilled technicians that the industry needs in the future.