An agreement was signed by IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi (right) and LinkedIn cofounder Allen Blue. (Photo: D.Calma/ IAEA)
A new program called Practical Arrangement, which has been created through a collaboration of the International Atomic Energy Agency and LinkedIn, aims to bring networking and training opportunities to women in the nuclear field. The partnership will provide essential resources, including training, research, and access to LinkedIn’s global network.
The partnership agreement was signed at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, by IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi and the cofounder of LinkedIn, Allen Blue, on November 12.
“To achieve our goals and tackle the unprecedented challenges the world is facing, we need the right people. We need experts and leaders with fresh perspectives and skills,” said Grossi. “LinkedIn’s vast network and insights will help us connect with those qualified people. It will also help women progress in the nuclear field, bringing greater diversity to the workforce.”
Development: The partnership aims to develop a more skilled, diverse, and sustainable global workforce in STEM and nuclear sectors. Hundreds of women master’s students and mid-career professionals from around the world have been supported by the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and Lise Meitner Program. In addition to monetary scholarships and internship opportunities, fellows benefit from a LinkedIn group for participants and program alumnae that provides a forum for networking and sharing educational and professional development opportunities.
Under the new program, LinkedIn will offer training sessions to fellows and IAEA staff on how to make best use of its social media platform to help advance their careers. Sessions will range from profile development, building networks, and thought leadership to women in STEM and the renewable energy workforce, which includes nuclear energy.
The program also will give the IAEA access to insights into workforce trends and data in the nuclear community, as well as LinkedIn research into questions and challenges facing the IAEA and the global community regarding nuclear technologies.
The IAEA’s LinkedIn page, regularly updated with employment and internship opportunities at the agency, can be found here, while Grossi’s LinkedIn page is here.
