Meeting the Training and Education Challenge

摘要

This autumn is shaping up as a busy one for many of North America's nuclear power plants. Almost three dozen refueling outages are scheduled for the fall, along with three steam generator and one reactor head replacement. Even in the midst of a recession, the nuclear industry remains open for business and hiring. Not counting positions that will be replaced due to retirement, an estimated 15,000 new jobs will be created over the next two to three years. The Internet has yet to play a big role in training and education. Industry has been good about donating equipment to offer hands-on training experience. Everything from pumps and valves to control systems have been donated allowing students to tear the equipment apart to learn how it works. In an approach that's unusual for academia, the nuclear industry plays a role as a big driver in course development.