Transcript No Slide Title

Careers in Nuclear
Science and Technology
Lisa Stiles
Dominion Resources Services
Project Leader – Strategic Staffing
and Knowledge Management
Overview
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A Career Roadtrip
Major Fields
More opportunities
What We Need from You
Resources
My Career Roadtrip
Major Fields
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Commercial Power
Nuclear Navy
Nuclear Medicine
Research
Commercial Power
Commercial Power
30%
2003
25%
2005
2007
Employees
20%
15%
10%
5%
Age Range
Source: 2007 NEI Pipeline Survey Preliminary Results
67
+
63
-6
7
58
-6
2
53
-5
7
48
-5
2
43
-4
7
38
-4
2
33
-3
7
28
-3
2
23
-2
7
18
-2
2
0%
Commercial Power
• Up to 15,600 nuclear utility workers may be
eligible for retirement in the next 5 years
• Vendors, suppliers, government agencies are in
the same boat!
• And that’s just to keep the current fleet running
• What does that mean to your students?
Salary Examples
Nuclear Engineer I
Radiation Protection technician
(entry level)
Radiation Protection technician
(step 2)
Reactor Operator Trainee
Licensed Reactor Operator
$62,000
$36,000
$41,000
$37,000
$64,000
Commercial Power
• Engineers
– nuclear, electrical, chemical, mechanical, materials, and
civil/structural
• Professionals
– health physicists, RP technicians, chemists, accountants,
instrumentation and control technicians, IT experts, business
management, fire protection, industrial safety, security and
training instructors
• Skilled Trades
– electricians, welders, mechanics, pipe fitters, machinists,
carpenters, millwrights and heavy equipment operators.
Just a Few Examples
• Core designers
– Model the neutronic
characteristics
– Predict how the core
will react to various
operating conditions.
– Optimize the
parameters to safely
produce electricity.
Just a few examples
• Spent fuel management
– Evaluate fuel for dry
storage
– Design dry storage
facilities
– Design and test dry storage
cask designs to withstand:
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Tornado winds and missiles
Earthquake
Drop
Tipover
Cold weather
Fire
Just a few examples
• Health Physicists
and technicians
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Protect personnel
Protect the facility
Protect the public
Protect the
environment
Just a few examples
• Operators
– Operate the equipment
• Turn the valves
• Read the instruments
• Push the buttons and the
switches
– Make the megawatts!
– Trained to predict,
understand and respond
Pathways
• High school→trainee
• Skilled craft apprenticeship with labor
union
• Professional Certificate or Associate’s
Degree at Technical School or Community
College
• Bachelor’s (or higher) degree
• Navy Nuclear experience
High school→trainee
• Usually requires pre-employment testing. Details and
links to example tests at
http://www.dom.com/jobs/tests.jsp#admin_support
• Good math and science skills (passed Algebra 2 plus
one of Physics, Chemistry, or Biology)
• Pros
– Immediate employment (with benefits) and on-the-job
training
• Cons
– On-the-job training will generally take longer to get to
“certificate” status
– Usually will not receive credit towards a degree
Skilled Craft Apprenticeship
• Usually requires
passing an
assessment test
(good math and
science skills plus
mechanical aptitude)
• Defined pay,
benefits and
advancement
structure
Skilled Craft Apprenticeship
• Apply with local union
boards where applicable
– IBEW at www.ibew.org
– Utility Workers Union,
http://uwua.net/
– Others include AFL-CIO
Building and Construction
Trades, Metal Trades, Sheet
Metal Workers International
Association, United
Association of Journeymen
and Apprentices of the
Plumbing and Pipe Fitting
Industry
Certificate or AAS Degree
• Typically 2-year programs
• Good math and science
skills (Passed Algebra 2
plus one of Physics,
Chemistry or Biology)
• Credits usually
transferable toward a 4year degree
• After completion, may
choose to enter workforce
or continue for a
bachelor’s degree
Certificate or AAS Degree
• Increasing opportunities for scholarships and paid
internships
• Examples
– Linn State Technical College
http://www.atc.org/atc04.htm
– Central Virginia Community College
http://www.cv.cc.va.us/Workforce/NSF/default.asp
– Three Rivers Community College
http://www.universities.com/OnCampus/Three_Rivers_Community_College__Norwich
_CT_Associate_degree_Nuclear__Nuclear_Power_Tec
hnology__T_165507.html
Engineering degree
• Nuclear, electrical,
chemical,
mechanical,
materials, and
civil/structural
• Nuclear and health
physics programs at
http://www.nei.org/in
dex.asp?catnum=2&c
atid=289
Engineering Degree
• Scholarships,
Fellowships, and
Internships at
http://www.nei.org/inde
x.asp?catnum=2&catid=
210
• At least Trigonometry
(Calculus preferred)
plus Chemistry and/or
Physics
Nuclear Navy
• Highly selective program
for both officers and
enlisted personnel
– Sophomore year in college
can enter the Nuclear
Propulsion Officer Candidate
Program (NUPOC). Monthly
stipend of $2,600-$4,100 and
a $15,000 selection bonus
• Rigorous training
– 6 months at Nuclear Power
School
– 6 months at Nuclear
Prototype School
Nuclear Navy
• HUGE retention
bonuses ($75,000!)
• Many skills translate
directly to the
commercial industry
• http://www.navy.com/
Nuclear Medicine
• Physician
– Medical School plus at
least 3 years training
• Technologist
– Wide variety of
positions
– 4-year degree, Post-BS
Certificate (1 year
training), 2-year
Associates Degree
Nuclear Medicine
• Pharmacist
– 4-year degree plus
specialized nuclear
training
– Average about $85,000
• Physicist
– Advanced degree
required (usually physics,
medical physics,
biophysics, computer
engineering, electrical
engineering or
biomedical engineering)
Research and Academia
• Increase in funding for research in nuclear
science & technology
– DOE
– GNEP
– NASA
• New and exciting applications of nuclear
science and technology
Research and Academia
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New reactor designs
Fission research
Fusion
Recycling and
transmutation
• Advances in nuclear
medicine
• Space technology
Other Opportunities
• Space Technology
• Environmental
Applications
• Industrial Applications
What We Need from You
• Tell us how we can
help you get students
excited about math,
science and technical
careers in general and
Nuclear in particular!
• Tell your students about
the plentiful and
diverse opportunities
for exciting, rewarding
and well-paying careers
in nuclear science and
technology
What We Need from You
• Tell your interested students to
– Do well in school (and stay out of trouble)
– Take math and science
• Algebra 2 plus one of Physics, Chemistry, or Biology for
technician trainees
• Trigonometry (Calculus preferred) plus at least 3 years
of science for engineering students
– Consider summer opportunities like the University
of Missouri-Rolla Nuclear Engineering summer
camp for rising high school juniors and seniors
University of Missouri-Rolla
Nuclear Engineering Summer Camp
ANS-VA Section Scholarships
More Resources
• Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD)
– www.cewd.org
– Get Into Energy website for students
• Includes career assessment, descriptions of jobs, interactive portions
• http://www.cewd.org/
• Nuclear Energy Institute
– Home page www.nei.org
– Career Center
http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=1&catid=7
– Blog http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/
– Carol Berrigan at 202.739.8050
More Resources
• American Nuclear Society
– Home page www.ans.org
– Career Center http://www.ans.org/pi/edu/students/careers/
• Health Physics Society
– Home page www.hps.org
– Career Center
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/hpcareers.html
• Society of Nuclear Medicine
– http://www.snm.org
• North American Young Generation in Nuclear
– www.na-ygn.org
Questions?