Promoting Mentoring and Coaching Through a Scholarship Programme at CNEA, Argentina. Annex XII

The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) is the main Argentine public organization devoted to nuclear R&D activities, expanding the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to society. Furthermore, it has been responsible for promoting highly specialized education and training of human resources in the nuclear field. Since its creation, in 1950, CNEA has promoted a formal programme of scholarships as one of the pillars of its policy of human resources development. The programme encompasses two kinds of scholarships: — Study scholarships: for studying in the CNEA´s academic Institutes, Balseiro, Dan Beninson and Sabato, founded in association with national universities. All the professors are active researchers at CNEA's facilities. Furthermore, the students have the possibility to perform activities and to be trained at CNEA's laboratories and research reactors in order to acquire practical experience. After getting a degree, graduates might apply for a "Learning by Doing" scholarship to complete their education by being part of institutional ongoing projects; — "Learning by Doing" scholarships: for training young engineers and technologists as a source for its own staffing needs, but also for providing highly qualified personnel to local industry and R&D organizations. Once trained, it is expected that most of them join the organization. This programme also gives junior researchers the opportunity to undertake PhD studies and allows PhD graduates to continue their training as researchers and gain skills and experience. The programme is managed by the Intellectual Capital Section of the Academic Area Department which comprises professionals educated in various disciplines from the social sciences. Given that CNEA is a highly recognized organization, this makes its scholarships programme attractive. In addition, the access to research facilities and laboratories provides a significant added value. Although CNEA has experienced periods of fluctuating policies, the support to this programme is considered a strategic issue for assuring the next generation nuclear workforce and to continue engaging youth in STEM studies. The "Learning by Doing" programme has proven to be a successful undertaking to deal with two particularly tough challenges: — The aging nuclear workforce among which 5,7% are at retirement age and 11,7% will be in the same situation over the next 5 years; — Replacement of retiring experts possessing critical knowledge faces difficulties due to budget constraints. This case study focuses on mentoring as core activity involved in "Learning by Doing" scholarships that typically takes place on a one-to-one basis. There are, however, also cases when the mentoring and coaching activities are carried out effectively in a group setting like the RA-10 Research Reactor Project, a successful case presented herein.