Development of a Workforce for the Nuclear Industry - 16513
- Applied Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174 (United States)
The US Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) oversees one of the largest environmental restoration projects in the world. DOEEM's labor statistics show that 91% of EM employees are 40 years old or older and only 1% of its workforce is under 30 years old. In addition, it is estimated that within the next three years, DOE-EM will lose as much as 30-35% of its technical workforce due to retirement. DOE-EM is responding to the aging workforce problem by proactively partnering with universities to train and develop the new generation for the environmental restoration workforce. In 2007, DOE-EM and Florida International University's Applied Research Center (ARC) established the DOE-FIU Science and Technology Workforce Development Program. This is an innovative program designed to train and mentor FIU students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines and provides them with career paths in environmental restoration and the nuclear industry. The selected students (called DOE Fellows) perform hands-on environmental remediation research and participate in internships at DOE Headquarters, DOE sites, national laboratories, and DOE contractors. Upon graduation and completion of the DOE fellowship, DOE Fellows pursue employment opportunities with DOE and its contractors. In addition, DOE-EM has also established a Minority Serving Institution STEM program targeting STEM students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Both programs have the purpose of enhancing educational and training opportunities to minority students. DOE Fellows support DOE-EM research at FIU's ARC. The Fellows work side by side with ARC's scientists and engineers in the research of technologies and methodologies in the areas of high level waste/waste disposal and treatment, soil and groundwater remediation and modeling, deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) technology test and evaluation, and engage in the development of information technology systems in support of the DOE-EM environmental remediation mission. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22838295
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-19-WM-16513; TRN: US19V1488083650
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM2016: 42. Annual Waste Management Symposium, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 6-10 Mar 2016; Other Information: Country of input: France; 4 refs.; available online at: http://archive.wmsym.org/2016/index.html
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
DEACTIVATION
DECOMMISSIONING
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
EMPLOYMENT
ENGINEERING
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANPOWER
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
REMEDIAL ACTION