Despite the near-meltdown of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, U.S. nuclear-tech students are optimistic about the industry and their own futures, reports Community College Times.
Nuclear technology students at Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) in North Carolina are training on a GE reactor, the same kind used in Japan.
“It’s made for some very interesting classroom discussions,” said R.B. Richey, CFCC’s lead nuclear technology instructor.
U.S. nuclear plants will remain in operation, says Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, manager of industry infrastructure at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), a Washington, D.C.-based policy organization. Some 38 percent of nuclear workers will retire within the next five years, opening up 25,000 jobs, according to NEI.
CFCC has partnered with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Granite International to provide full scholarships and three years of guaranteed employment to up to 20 students a semester who complete an associate degree of applied science in nuclear maintenance technology.
At Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) in Connecticut, would-be students are lined up to get into the rigorous nuclear engineering technology program. The local Millstone Power Station provides full scholarships for 15 freshmen each year and hires many of the graduates.
Thirty-six colleges participate in NEI’s Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program, which leads to an industry-recognized certificate. Industry partners visit classrooms to monitor curricular quality.
