The Role of the College of Technology in the Nuclear Industry

Ever-increasing energy demands, concerns over climate change, and an elusive chase for national energy independence are driving a quiet resurgence for increasing the use of nuclear power. Experts maintain however, that any nuclear power expansion will have to be both timely and at a scale that will provide the results intended. For this to happen, initiatives leading to the education and development of qualified nuclear personnel will have to be implemented. Because engineering technology programs feature plans of study that prepare graduates for occupational areas with a distinct “hands-on” reach, a College of Technology is in a unique position to participate and meaningfully contribute to any expansion of the domestic nuclear industry. The object of the paper is to define the role of a College of Technology as it seeks a first-time attempt to establish itself in nuclear power education. This is done using a two-part approach. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the global and domestic nuclear power industry, some of its challenges and accomplishments, and developments forming new and expanding directions for the future of this truly remarkable industry. The second part of the paper deals exclusively with nuclear engineering technology, a part of the academic enterprise that nurtures and sustains growth of the nuclear industry by providing it graduates with specialized work skills and a solid understanding of nuclear science basics. The paper examines course offerings of established nuclear educational programs including that at the U. S. Navy’s Nuclear Power School. This information is used to develop the curriculum for a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program in Nuclear Engineering Technology. The template for the development of the proposed curriculum is the plan of study from an existing Mechanical Engineering Technology program. Because introduction of any new program can be a formidable task, the authors provide ideas for getting started by noting available resources that are sometimes overlooked.