In many countries, government R&D funding in the area of nuclear energy has been dramatically reduced or has disappeared altogether. At the same time, the profit margins of electricity generators have been severely squeezed. The combined effect has led to a reduction in technical innovation and the danger of the loss of technical competencies and skills in the area.
However, because different countries are at different stages of the nuclear technology life cycle, these losses are not common to all countries, either in their nature or their extent. A competence that may have declined or been lost in one country may be strong in another. Therein lies one solution to the problems the sector faces: international collaboration.
This report presents the results of an international survey on initiatives launched during recent years in the area of nuclear education and training. Key human resource issues are discussed and many good practices regarding international collaboration are identified.
The report includes an executive summary along with conclusions and recommendations aimed at policy makers and other stakeholders. It also contains an in-depth analysis of the factual information collected.