Bipartisan support for nuclear energy appears to be continuing under the new administration, as well:
- Energy is noted as “the essential ingredient that enables everything we do.”
- Affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies must include advanced nuclear reactors.
- Fusion energy is one of the priorities.
- Further commercialization of nuclear power is emphasized.
For these energy goals to be actualized, we need fuller participation. And that requires engagement and continual development of our most prized asset: people. The following are factors that will impact future engagement.
Lower birth rates and the plateau of high school graduates. According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, we are beginning to see a 13 percent decline in high school graduates, which will account for 4 million fewer graduates by 2041.
A need for 4 million nuclear workers globally, especially as advanced technologies are constructed and we continue to have retirements and attrition, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The incorporation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning.
Increased competition among industries. Roughly 24 percent of the U.S. population are STEM educated, approximately one-half are in STEM careers, and others are in STEM-related positions.
Today we have the broadest demographic makeup the workforce has ever seen, encompassing Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. This breadth will influence how we develop and execute training programs. How we engage with adult learners matters for the health and expansion of the nuclear sector. How we deploy outreach and skilling initiatives in traditional and nontraditional spaces impacts the talent stress we are witnessing.
CONTE 2025 reemphasized the need to share best practices and engage with all tiers for education and training. The prioritization of relationship building, multimodal instruction, and the utilization of products and services will assist in the facilitation of a healthy nuclear education and training ecosystem.
