UToledo to Lead $39M Nuclear Workforce Initiative

UToledo to Lead $39M Nuclear Workforce Initiative

The University of Toledo is a leader in the Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear Workforce, which recently received a $19.2 million investment from the U.S. Department of Energy to establish the $39 million workforce initiative led by UToledo.

The partnership will work to enhance the existing safety training pipelines for the light-water reactor workforce, attract qualified individuals to the nuclear sector, modernize curricula for advanced reactor concepts and establish industry-recognized nuclear reactor safety certifications.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy announced Tuesday the awarding of more than $49.7 million to 10 university-led projects to grow nuclear safety training programs and curricula across the nation, including the UToledo project, which received the largest award.

"More nuclear energy means more nuclear energy jobs," said Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Crosscuts, Michelle Scott. "Today's awards help ensure that the next generation of nuclear energy workers receive robust and rigorous training that promotes the highest standards of safety."

U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur held a press conference on Wednesday at the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station operated by Vistra in Oak Harbor, located 29 miles from UToledo, to celebrate the award.

"This $19.2 million award to The University of Toledo is the largest single federal award from the federal government in UToledo history and will reshape how the Federal government views university-based nuclear research. UToledo's new ranking as an R1 research university further positions it as a hub for innovation and workforce development. Our Great Lakes region is a powerhouse for innovation and the future of America's energy workforce. Northwest Ohio deserves this kind of forward-thinking investment - America betting on the best of this region, not the worst," said Congresswoman Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development. "This effort will empower Northwest Ohio to lead the Great Lakes Partnership in training the next generation of highly skilled, safety-focused nuclear workers, with an eye toward the advanced nuclear technologies of tomorrow. Investments like this are essential to support good-paying jobs and ensure safe, reliable energy for Northwest Ohio and the Great Lakes region."

The Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear Workforce brings together nuclear power station operators, a nuclear fuel provider, a major nuclear power plant manufacturer, higher education institutions, union representatives, a national laboratory, and national nuclear and workforce organizations dedicated to the enhancement of the nuclear workforce.

Partners in the UToledo initiative include the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, North Dakota State University, Excelsior University, Lakeland Community College, Monroe County Community College, Owens Community College, Idaho National Laboratory, Centrus Energy, Constellation Energy, DTE, Vistra, Westinghouse, Xcel Energy, American Nuclear Society, Center for Energy Workforce Development, Electric Power Research Institute, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Talent Scout and Pittsburgh-Technical.

"The University of Toledo is proud to lead this collaborative effort to enhance, modernize and standardize training pipelines and programs to support the growing energy sector," UToledo President James Holloway said. "UToledo has long been a leader in energy and environment research and education, and through this partnership, we can apply that expertise to strengthen safety and training for people in nuclear energy careers in our region and across the country."

The Department of Energy projects the need for an additional 375,000 trained workers in the nuclear industry by 2050.

"In support of this initiative, UToledo is planning to add a nuclear engineering specialization to our bachelor's degree program in mechanical engineering and leverage our successful co-op program that places our students at over 400 companies and the network of over 40 high schools in Ohio and Michigan that have partnered with UToledo In establishing Robotics clubs for employment opportunities at nuclear facilities," said Mohammad Elahinia, dean of the UToledo College of Engineering and a co-principal investigator on the project.

"In addition to nuclear engineers, we are supporting new coursework in health physics, nuclear medicine and radiation safety that takes advantage of virtual reality, artificial intelligence and gamification, as well as simulators, to expand talent development opportunities and recruit talent more broadly beyond traditional nuclear energy careers," said Nikolas Podraza, chair and professor of the UToledo Department of Physics and Astronomy and co-principal investigator on the project.

Building the talent pipeline also requires attention to new training, certificates, outreach and summer camp programs for K-12 and underserved populations, which will be part of the efforts of the Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear Workforce.

"The commitment of the leaders of the nation's nuclear energy enterprise in building this consortium was impressive. The commitment to build a strong, safety-focused stream of talent is clear," said Frank Calzonetti, special advisor to the vice president for research at UToledo who served as the point person for the University in organizing the partnership and proposal. "Our collaborative network of university and industry partners well positions UToledo to be a leader in enhancing nuclear energy safety and supporting workforce development to ensure the Midwest is a leader in a decarbonization transition and that our region and country are globally competitive in nuclear energy growth opportunities."