A Lifetime of Challenges
in
Nuclear Education & Training
Robert L. Long, PhD
Nuclear Stewardship, LLC
Albuquerque, NM
May 31, 2006
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Outline
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In the Beginning
Performance Based Training
The Workforce Environment
Growing Generational Conflict
NPP Skills Needed
NPP Workforce Size
Getting Started
IAEA and DOE Resources
Conclusion
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In the Beginning
• Decided on college teaching as UG student
• PhD advisor was role model
– Searched every semester for ways to improve
• UNM Faculty 1965-78
– Chair, ChE & N E Dept 1974-78
• Committed to behavioral objective based
education & training in late 1960s
• GPU Nuclear Director of Training 1980-83
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Performance Based Training
• A behavioral learning objective states a
performance, describing what the learner will
be doing when demonstrating mastery of the
objective
• Performance based training is terminology
commonly used by NPP trainers
• Learning objectives are developed through a
Systematic Approach to Training (SAT)
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Steps in SAT
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Analyze
Design
Develop
Implement
Evaluate
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Some References
• Robert F. Mager, Preparing Instructional
Objectives, 2nd Ed., Fearon Publishers, Belmont,
CA (1975)
• W. James Popham and Eva L. Baker, Establishing
Instructional Goals, Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood,
NJ (1970)
• Carter McNamara, Systematic Approaches to
Training and Development
www.managementhelp.org/trng_dev/basics/isd.
htm
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The Workforce Environment
• Talented people are our most important
resource
• Poland situation similar to USA?
• 40% to 50% of utility employees will be
retiring in next 3-4 years
• In US NRC nearly half of staffers are at
least age 50; 36% eligible to retire in next
5 years
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Supply Shortage
• During 2004-2012, U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics projects 21 million new jobs with
only 17million new entrants to workforce
• In U.S. 30% of science and engineering
faculty members are over age 50.
• Universities dropped power and nuclear
engineering programs, e.g. in 1975 there
were 77 NE programs in U.S., now only 18
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Growing Generational Conflict*
Younger generations are defining “success” differently
from the people they work for. And they 1) Feel entitled to their “success.”
2) Don’t respect or value the hard work the
generations before them have done to get to
where they are.
3) Don’t believe they need to “pay their dues.”
4) Think their boss should be more of a friend
than a boss.
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* Reference for generational conflict material is a May 2006
presentation by Cam Marston, Marston Communication, Inc.
www.marstoncomm.com
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Ages of the Generations*
Matures:
Boomers:
Gen X:
Millennials:
> 61 yrs. +
42 to 60 yrs.
27 to 41 yrs.
26 & younger
*Generations have common experiences
and shared values
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The Matures
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Duty, honor, country
Dedication, sacrifice
Conformity, blending, unity – “We First”
Patience
Hard, hard times then prosperity
National pride
Doing a good job was most important
Age = Seniority
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The Baby Boomers (42 – 60 yrs)
• Work ethic; “workaholic”
• Competitive
• Visible signs of success: trophies, plaques,
lifestyle elements
• Optimistic
• Consumers
• Defined by their job
• Personal development
• Forever rebellious, nostalgia
• We are the world; We are the children
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Generation X (27 to 41 yrs.)
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Taught to question authorities at a young age.
Saw end of lifelong employment.
No shared heroes. Heroes are personal.
Question the sacrifices the Boomers have made
to achieve their “success.”
• Latch-key kids… Raised as their parent’s
“friends”.
• Independent. Loners. Nomads. Poor team
players.
• “Prove it to me.”
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Millennials (26 & under)
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Optimistic
Individualistic yet group oriented
They have a hard time focusing on anything.
Busy, active, full schedules since grade school.
Like “X”, raised as their parent’s friends.
Their work does NOT define who they are.
Staying closer to their parents longer.
Big, ambitious goals. Clueless on the execution
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Views on Time
• Matures – Work ethic defined by the punch
clock.
• Boomers - Visibility was/is the key.
Workaholics.
• Gen X - “What does it matter when I work, as
long as I get the job done.”
• Millennial – “It is five o’clock – I have another life
to get to.” Job = gig.
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Views on Work/Life Balance
• Matures – Very interested in flexible hours.
• Boomers – “Was/Is this workaholic lifestyle
worth it?” Are the rewards worth the cost?
• Gen X – Balance is very important. Willing
to sacrifice it occasionally. Success.
• Millennial – Lifestyle vs. promotion.
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Views on Authorities
• Matures – Based largely on seniority and tenure.
• Boomers – Similar values to the Matures.
They’ve earned it.
• Gen X – Authority figures deserve skepticism &
testing.
• Millennial – Test but search.
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Views on What Makes a Good Team
• Matures – Produces quality. Not in it for
individual recognition. Work is done in proximity
to one another.
• Boomers – Everyone works until all the work is
finished. Long and hard hours. Committed to
the job and each other.
• Gen X – Teams are not defined by proximity.
Each team member serves a unique role.
• Millennial – What will I get out of this team?
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How to Coach
• Matures – “This is what we need…”
• Boomers – “Here are some things that will
help you get ahead…”
• Gen X – “Here are some things that will
help you get to your next position,
wherever that may be…”
• Millennials – “Do this and people will
notice…”
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Retaining X’ers and Millennials
• Whether the job is “good” or not and whether or
not they are “happy” is largely determined (85%)
by their relationship with their boss.
• X’ers and Millennials are loyal to people, not to
companies or organizations.
• They rarely quit their job or their company, they
quit their boss.
• To them, the boss = the company.
• Must ask the question, “Who are they working
for? Is this the person to whom they can
develop loyalty?”
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Applicability to Nuclear
Education & Training
• Commitment to NPP construction and startup
will require commitment of workforce with
great variety of talents, many of them new
• Recruiting, training and retaining these new
workers will demand new management and
leadership skills
• Some, if not many, of the old management
lessons learned will not be applicable
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NPP Engineering & Technical
Skills Needed-1
• Computer Engineering
– Plant process computers & simulators
• Design/Modifications Engineering
– Civil/Structural, including seismic
– Mechanical
– Electrical
– Instrumentation and Controls
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NPP Engineering & Technical
Skills Needed-2
• Engineering Programs
– In-Service Inspections and Testing
– Corrosion Phenomena
– Probabilistic Risk/Safety Analysis
– Equipment Qualification
– Motor/Air Operated Valves
– Fire Protection
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NPP Engineering & Technical
Skills Needed-3
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Procurement Engineering
Reactor Engineering
Nuclear Fuels Analysis
Systems Engineering
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NPP Skilled Craftsmen Needed
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Reactor operators
Plant equipment operators
Radiation protection technicians
Chemistry technicians
Mechanics
Electricians
Instrument and control (I&C) technicians
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Nuclear Safety Culture
• Entire workforce trained in and committed to
strong nuclear safety culture
• Nils Diaz, US NRC Chairman: “We cannot
take safety for granted.”
• Tom Beckett, Dep. Dir., US Naval Reactors :
“Never lose sight of the need to successfully
control this unforgiving technology.”
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Radiation Awareness Training
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Radioactivity and its sources,
Radiation health (biological) effects,
Radiation protection methods and regulations,
Measuring of radiation,
Exposure and contamination control,
Handling of radioactive wastes,
Establishment of radiation protection programs,
Releases and emergency response
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NPP Engineers Need Breadth
• Many skills needed beyond neutronics and
core physics
• In addition to a strong safety culture some of
these are– NPP integration into the electric generating grid
– Assuring reliable plant chemistry
– Materials selection and aging issues
– Instrumentation & controls
– Heat transfer and fluid flows
– Synthesis and design
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Lead Time to Prepare Personnel
• 4-6 years for graduate engineers, plus 1-2
years of on-the-job training
• 1-2 years for licensed reactor operators
• 2-4 years for licensed senior reactor
operators
• Additional years of NPP work experience
for plant shift managers and senior
management
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Factors Influencing Workforce Size
• Number of units at a site
• Site location with respect to population
centers and contractor support services
• Construction & operations regulatory
requirements
• Environmental laws and monitoring
requirements
• Labor laws and workforce unions or not
• Public education & awareness requirements
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Typical NPP Staffing*
Process Group
Operations
Licensing & Engineering
Corp Finance/Administration
Common Processes
Number
425
170
110
95
Total
* Variances may be + or - 300
800*
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Categories of Personnel Needed
Workforce Category
Approx. No. Required
Civil Engineers
5
Computer, Elec, I&C Engrs
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Mechanical Engineers
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Nuclear Engineers
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Project/Plant Engineers
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Cntrl Rm & Eqpmnt Oprtrs
75
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Workforce Category
Chemistry Technicians
Maintenance Technicians
Approx. No. Required
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135*
Rad Prtctn&Rad Wst Techs
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Security Personnel
70
Trainers
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All other personnel
335
Total = 800
*Includes electricians, I&C and mechanical techs
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Getting Started
Consider establishing a national committee:
• Representatives from universities, trade
schools and power industry
• Assess current resources, determine future
workforce needs and identify those that will
require introduction of new programs
• IAEA document assesses minimum
infrastructures needed for educational
programs and human resources
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Education & Training Resources
Assessment of Poland’s Institutions*
• No universities offer nuclear engineering (NE)
• Technical universities do have electric power
degree options
• A few have introductory NE courses
• Likely candidates for NE programs
– Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk and Silesian Technical
Universities
• Will be need to develop NE Faculty
*Information provided by T. Wojcik and J. Niewodniczanski
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Poland’s Trade Schools
• Vocational schools (2-3 yrs) and technical
colleges (4-5 yrs) train chemistry, I & C,
electrical and mechanical technicians
• Unions/guilds have apprenticeship programs,
but these may be decreasing
• No programs for radiation protection
technicians
• All would need radiation awareness training
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Minimum Infrastructure Items*
• Development of educational facilities for nuclear
related subjects
• Courses to be added for nuclear power reactor
staff development
• IAEA supported training programs
• Training programs from countries with nuclear
power program
*See IAEA Tech. Doc., “Minimum Infrastructure for a Nuclear Power
Plant Project”, Final draft, 12 Jan 2006
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Example of USA Startup (‘50-’60s)
• USAEC sponsored university faculty 6-wk
workshops at Universities/National Labs
• A Bucknell University professor attended a
workshop, returned and taught the first
“Introduction to Nuclear Engineering” course
• As 3rd year student, I took the course.
• During my 4th year I applied for and received a
fellowship to study nuclear engineering at any of
the 6-8 universities having USAEC approved
programs
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Developing Educational Facilities
• Government funded workshops for college
professors (some now available through
IAEA and in other countries)
• Government reviews and approves curricula
eligible to have graduate students enrolled
with government & industry fellowships
• Government, industry and national labs
assist with equipment for teaching labs
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Courses to be Added
• Faculty from traditional disciplines (CE,
ME, EE, ChE, Physics, etc) can teach new
courses (See Table 3 in Long NPPP 2006
paper)
• Distance learning, web-based courses
available in English and probably other
Euro languages
• World University Summer Institute,
Sweden, 8 Jul – 18 August 2006.
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Courses to Be Added*
• Nuclear physics and reactor
design
• Nuclear safety
• Radiology, radiography and
radiological protection
• Thermal, hydraulics and thermo
hydraulics analyses
• Advanced structural analysis and
structural mechanics
• Advanced computer hardware
and software design and
maintenance (control computers
hardware and real time control
software)
*IAEA Tech Doc, op cit
• Materials sciences for civil,
mechanical and process related
applications (steel, concrete,
zirconium, ceramics, resins,
cabling, etc.)
• Application, calibration and
maintenance of electrical,
mechanical and digital
instrumentation devices
• Human factors engineering
principles
• QA/QM processes and
methodology
• Planning, scheduling, material
management and cost control
• Environmental analysis
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Courses to be Added
• Faculty from traditional disciplines (CE,
ME, EE, ChE, Physics, etc) can teach new
courses (See Table 3 in Long NPPP 2006
paper)
• Distance learning, web-based courses
available in English and probably other
Euro languages
• World University Summer Institute,
Sweden, 8 Jul – 18 August 2006.
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IAEA & Other Training Programs
• Many training opportunities exist today
that were not available 30-40 years ago
• IAEA is a great resource
• USA Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
(INPO) publishes detailed guidelines for
training of NPP personnel
• World Association of Nuclear Operators
(WANO) offers professional and technical
development programs
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U.S. DOE Innovations in Nuclear
Infrastructure and Education (INIE)
Program established in 2002 to provide
funds to universities and colleges to:
• Improve instrumentation and equipment
• Maintain highly qualified research staff
• Integrate the use of nuclear research
facilities with NE education programs
• Establish internal and external user
cooperative programs
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INIE Consortiums
Universities encouraged to actively seek and
establish collaboration with:
• Other colleges and universities
• DOE national laboratories
• U.S. industry
• Other private and/or public organizations
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INIE Accomplishments
• Six university consortiums funded
– Four began in FY 2002
– Two were added in FY 2003
• Results have been phenomenal in terms of
cooperation between schools, and with labs and
industry, as well as building the infrastructure at
participating schools.
• In 2004 former Office of Nuclear Energy Director
Bill Magwood said that INIE was best university
program DOE had ever developed
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INIE Consortiums
• BIG-10: Penn State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue,
Michigan, Cincinnati and National Labs/Industry
• MIT: MIT, RPI, Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center,
Massachusetts-Lowell
• Southwestern: Texas A&M, Texas, New Mexico, and National
Labs
• Western: Oregon State, UC-Berkeley, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine,
Washington State, Reed College, Nevada-Las Vegas, Idaho
State, Utah, and National Labs/Industry
• Southeastern (MUSIC): NC State, Tennessee, South Carolina,
Maryland, Georgia Tech, Florida, SC State
• Midwest: Missouri-Columbia, Missouri-Rolla, Missouri-KC,
Kansas State, Linn State Technical College, Polytechnic
University of Puerto Rico, Tuskegee and National Labs/Industry
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INIE as a Resource
• Opportunities for undergraduate and
graduate student enrollments
• Opportunities for Poland faculty training
and exchanges
• Developing on-line NE courses, both
asynchronous and synchronous
• Developing on-line radiation measurement
and reactor laboratory courses
• Many different programs for non-technical
students and public education
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INIE Contacts
• Any of the consortium members
• John Gutteridge, DOE Manager of University
Programs: JOHN.GUTTERIDGE@hq.doe.gov
• Craig Williamson, Clemson University:
wcraig@clemson.edu
• Robert Fjeld, Clemson University:
fjeld@clemson.edu
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Conclusion-1
• Performance based education & training
essential for effective use of resources
• New management and leadership skills
needed to recruit, train and retain workers
from all generations, especially X’ers and
Millennials
• Great variety and breadth of skills needed to
construct and startup NPPs
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Conclusion-2
• Most important contributor to NPP success is
a highly educated, trained and dedicated
workforce
• IAEA documents attest to critical importance
of human resource planning and provide
invaluable assistance
• Begin now to develop workforce for Nuclear
Power Plants in Poland (NPPP 2020!)
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