Future prospects for EDF’s human
resources in nuclear
Manchester University
26 March 2008
© EDF 2008
Future prospects for EDF’s human resources
in nuclear
1. How things stand
2. Our needs
3. Expectations for the future, to attract more talented people
© EDF 2008
1
How things stand
© EDF 2008
3 strategic priorities for the development of nuclear
• Continue French Nuclear fleet operations: ongoing improvement in
safety and extended lifespan for the NPPs, learn from each year of
operating experience,
• Participate in the global development of nuclear:
• In France, construction of the Flamanville 3 EPR,
• Within the EDF Group, support the affiliate companies that are (or are
going to be) nuclear operators,
• Internationally, participate in the global revival of nuclear, together with
China, UK, USA, South Africa, …...
• Prepare for the new reactors by supporting international research
programmes on Generation IV reactors.
© EDF 2008
2
Our needs
© EDF 2008
The energy sector is currently not sufficiently
attractive
Breakdown of engineering graduate recruitment in 2006 in France
Automotive industry and transport
Information technology (services)
Construction and civil engineering
17%
16%
Consultancy
3%
4%
15%
Energy
Finance, Banking, Insurance, Audit
5%
5%
Chemical industry
6%
9%
10%
10%
Agri-food industry
Information Technology industry
Agriculture
Others sectors
The recruitment market for engineers is highly competitive
© EDF 2008
Skills a key priority:
a challenge as well as an opportunity….
In the nuclear energy branch in France
• Over the next 10 years, a significant level of retirement departures across
the whole branch: operations, engineering and research, engineers and
technicians,
• Major resource requirement for new projects.
In EDF
• Over the next 10 years, 40% of employees in the nuclear branch will retire,
including more than 4,000 engineers and executives in operations,
engineering and R&D,
• New international projects: more than 500 engineers by 2010 (French and
other nationalities).
We want to recruit the future managers of tomorrow’s company
© EDF 2008
Trend in the recruitment of engineers in EDF’s
Nuclear Operations
EDF
700
600
500
400
EDF
300
200
20
15
20
14
20
13
20
12
20
11
20
10
20
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
100
0
To maintain and develop EDF’s leadership in the nuclear field the company needs to recruit
5,000 engineers over the next 10 years : 4 times its previous level.
And in the same time :
• A strong competition on the recruitment market of engineers, demand is higher than
the offer,
• French and European education systems are unable to provide enough graduates at a
sufficient level.
© EDF 2008
Recruitment of engineers by EDF, in the field of
nuclear
Chemistry
Environment
Design,
Process
Thermohydraulics
Calculation code
Signal processing
Radiation
protection
2%
4%
2%
Instrumentation
Control and
Indus. Info.
15%
10%
Safety,
Fuel,
Neutron Physics
14%
Operations
25%
11%
6%
11%
Electromechanical
Engineering
© EDF 2008
Civil
Engineering
Metallurgy,
Structure of Materials,
Non intrusive Control
3
Expectations for the future, to attract
more talented people
© EDF 2008
Our expectations:
• We want to attract a greater proportion of future graduates to energy
across the board (low-carbon generation, greenhouse gas limitation, and
nuclear generation), and offer them the opportunity to build their career
around energy,
• We are broadening our recruitment approach: countries, qualifications,
apprenticeships, etc.
• We hope that education opportunities in nuclear and energy will be more
visible and more attractive to students,
• We need the Education system to provide enough graduates of the
required level in nuclear and energy generation technologies.
© EDF 2008
We are sponsoring 3 new educational initiatives:
A joint cooperation together with ParisTech (engineering schools regrouped
around Ecole Polytechnique), Ecole Centrale Paris, Supelec, INSTN (National
Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology) and Paris – Orsay University,
aimed at:
1. Strengthening and structuring the energy curricula in the “Grandes
Ecoles”
2.
Establishing an international Masters degree, for French and nonFrench students (2 year teaching programme, lectures in English)



3.
This Masters will cover the whole field of nuclear energy: engineering, operations,
decommissioning and waste management, fuel cycle,
A first module will start in September 2008 (objective: 25 to 30 students). The
whole cycle will be operational in September 2009 (80 students; over 100
students when fully up to speed),
ParisTech, Centrale, Supelec, INSTN and Paris-Orsay University are involved in
this project.
Establishing some post-Master professional certification with the best
Universities and “Grandes Ecoles”
(e.g.: nuclear safety, chemistry, etc.)
© EDF 2008
EDF contributions :
•
Main contributions:
 Issue the International Masters (2008: 1st step / 2009: full operation),
 Creation of professorships, especially for the International Masters,
 Make some EDF employees available for teaching, and to represent the
Group to schools and universities,
 Use of EDF simulators in the teaching programmes,
 Develop partnerships with universities in France, Germany, the UK, China,
the USA, South Africa, Italy, Switzerland, etc.
 Offer the best students: grants, internships, individual sponsorship, prerecruitment etc.

To maintain these initiatives over the long term, the EDF Group has
announced the creation of the
“European Foundation for Tomorrow’s Energies”
© EDF 2008