Project WANT - Women's Access to Nuclear Technology, a successful industry/education partnership

In 1984, the U.S. Congress issued the Carl D. Perkins Act, which charges vocational educators to increase their focus on two broad themes: (a) the elimination of sexual bias and sexual stereotyping in vocational education and (b) the provision of marketable skills to the economically deprived of the nation's work force. In response to this charter, an industry/education partnership was established among the Illinois State Board of Education, Norther Illinois University, and the Westinbghouse Nuclear Training Center. In essence, these partners established Project WANT - Women's Access to Nuclear Technology - with two premier goals: (a) to increase women's awareness regarding nuclear career opportunities and (b) to train and place women in technical professions within the nuclear industry. Feedback from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Atomic Industrial Forum, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies that <2% of all technical positions within the nuclear power industry are held by women. Hence, one may conclude that there is a definite need to promote sexual equity in the nuclear industry and that Illinois represents a unique environment of opportunity to accomplish this