European nuclear education initiatives

Whatever option regarding their future nuclear energy development is chosen by European Union Member States, the availability of a sufficient number of well trained and experienced staff is key for the responsible use of nuclear energy. This is true in all areas including design, construction, operation, decommissioning, fuel cycle and waste management as well as radiation protection. Given the high average age of existing experts leading to a significant retirement induce a real risk of the loss of nuclear competencies in the coming years. Therefore the demand of hiring skilled employees is rising. The challenge of ensuring a sufficient number of qualified staff in the nuclear sector has been acknowledged widely among the different stakeholders, in particular the nuclear industry, national regulatory authorities and Technical Support Organisations (TSOs). Already the EURATOM Treaty refers explicitly to the obligation for the Commission to carry out training actions. Recently initiatives have been launched at EU level to facilitate and strengthen the efforts of national stakeholders. The European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) Association aims at preservation and further development of expertise in the nuclear field by higher education and training. The goal of the European Nuclear Energy Leadership Academy (ENELA) is to educate future leaders in the nuclear field to ensure the further development of sustainable European nuclear energy solutions The European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) is a platform operated by the European Commission for a broad discussion on the opportunities and risks of nuclear energy. The nuclear programs under investigation in the Joint Research Center (JRC) are increasingly contributing to Education and Training (E and T) initiatives, promoting a better cooperation between key players and universities as well as operators and regulatory bodies in order to mutually optimise their training programmes. Another objective is to increase international and bilateral information exchange on operating experience. Within the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA), academically recognised nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation courses are organised by the JRC. Those should in the future be part of a newly created European Nuclear Safety and Security School with the goal to make JRC's nuclear research facilities better accessible for graduate and post-graduate training and education programmes in Europe. Furthermore the JRC is running the Actinide User Laboratory (ACTUSLAB), offering researchers the possibility to use its unique facilities and associated expertise on basic research related to the actinides elements of both fundamental and applied interest. Similarly the JRC is pooling its facilities to the partners in the ACTINET network, to facilitate the efficient use of major nuclear research facilities by the scientific community. E and T is a key element in order to reach students and young scientists in the EU by organising summer schools and supporting students to attend international conferences, workshops, seminars or to participate in traineeships. (author)