Empowering the next generation: ANS’s newest book focuses on careers in nuclear energy

When Johnson began her career at engineering services company Stone & Webster, she entered a field still reeling from the effects of the Three Mile Island incident in 1979, nearly 15 years earlier. Her hiring cohort was the first group of new engineering graduates the company had brought on since TMI, a reflection of the industry-wide pause in nuclear construction. Her first long-term assignment—at the Millstone site in Waterford, Conn., helping resolve design issues stemming from TMI—marked the beginning of a long and varied career that spanned positions across the country.

“I started my first engineering job out of college in nuclear in the early ’90s,” Johnson recalled. “Looking back, out of that group . . . very few of us from my generation of new hires remained in nuclear.”

While many of her peers moved on to other industries permanently, Johnson’s decision to stick with nuclear shaped her as a professional rich in insight, resilience, and purpose—and now she’s sharing that experience (and the experience of dozens of other professionals) in The Nuclear Empowered Workforce. Written for students, early-career professionals, and those transitioning into nuclear from other fields, the book is both a practical guide and a passionate call to consider careers in this vital and often misunderstood industry.

“The nuclear workforce is unique,” Johnson writes. “It is home to a mindset that is continuously cultivated, focused, and refocused on the concept of protecting the health and safety of the public—because workers in nuclear energy know that a negative event at any one plant anywhere in the world has the potential to generate consequences for the entire industry.”

This shared sense of responsibility creates a tight-knit, mission-driven community. Johnson’s book is designed to help newcomers understand that culture and navigate the many career paths available in commercial nuclear power. Unlike academic or research-focused texts, The Nuclear Empowered Workforce zeroes in on the operational side of the industry—where real-world decisions are made, systems are maintained, and safety is paramount.

“If you think about it intuitively, Operations holds the license for the plant, meaning that they run the plant (turn switches, press buttons, move control rods, etc., to control the plant’s online status),” Johnson explained. “All other departments . . . are supporting the ongoing work of Operations.”

The book offers a comprehensive overview of the interaction of various disciplines during the design phase and within the structure and function of an operating nuclear power plant. It also introduces readers to various departments such as Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Chemistry, and even Security. It explores the life cycle of a plant (i.e., from design to decommissioning) as well as supporting areas such as supply chain logistics, outage supplemental staffing, regulatory oversight, training, and emerging technologies. Each section dives into the types of jobs that are available in specific sectors of the industry.

With more than 130 sample job postings and 20-plus “perspectives” written by industry veterans, The Nuclear Empowered Workforce provides a rare inside look at the career paths available—from engineers and chemists to planners, craft professionals, IT specialists, and administrative staff.

Importantly, not all roles require nuclear-specific training or an engineering degree. “The book includes career pathways that require nuclear training but also some that do not,” Johnson noted, “meaning the book is relevant to people who might not want to get an engineering degree but might be interested in nuclear energy and working in that sector.”

Johnson’s own journey reflects the diversity of paths within nuclear. Raised in Mississippi and a graduate of Drexel University, she has worked in design and components engineering, equipment maintenance, surveillance, and new plant design. Currently a senior lead engineer at Entergy, she also serves as vice chair of the American Nuclear Society’s Large Light Water Reactor Consensus Committee under the ANS Standards Board and also serves on ANS standards working groups.

Reflecting on her path in nuclear hoping to provide some direction to the next generation with career planning, Johnson is now in full mentorship mode. Her initial advice for newcomers to nuclear includes being honest with yourself about your plans.

“Do you actually want to supervise and develop people . . . or are you just interested in ‘career-pathing’? Do you instead prefer technical work only? Do you want to specialize . . . or do you want to be challenged with work that is largely unstructured?” she asked.

Next, be deliberate in finding a mentor—whether or not you are assigned one formally. Once a pathway is determined, she added, “Find someone who’s doing what you need or want to be doing and ask questions. Also, stay in a position long enough to understand the subtleties of the job, and leave that job better than you found it. The job qualification process only serves to get you a surface understanding of the role, not proficiency.”

One piece of advice she carries with her came from a mentor early in her career: “Don’t worry so much about chasing high positions or waste energy fearing reorganizations or layoffs; but instead, focus on honing the depth of your technical understanding of what you are doing in that moment and keep learning. No one can take away what is in your head, and you will find that you can work anywhere in the industry.”

Johnson was motivated, in part, to write her book in response to the challenges of retention within the industry. Over the years, she has seen many young professionals leave after a single mismatch between the professional and the job, often without exploring roles that might better suit their strengths.

“We all watch them leave the industry all too soon based on one experience that did not suit their work type preferences without real effort to try and retain them.” That’s why The Nuclear Empowered Workforce is more than a career guide. It’s a mentoring tool written to give readers the perspective she lacked when she first entered the field.

“I didn’t know how the industry worked when I got out of school,” she recalled. “My path turned out to be a wiser choice than I realized, but not all are so fortunate.”

The book also explores the flexibility within the industry. Moving from one department to another—say, from Operations to Regulatory Affairs—often requires new qualifications and training. “Some qualifications may require a few months while others may require years in the role,” she explained. “For instance, Engineering may require a month or two of general systems familiarization, compared with Operations, where an operator has to go through the 18-month systems training.”

Looking ahead, Johnson sees strong demand for professionals with expertise in plant design, digital tools, automation, robotics, and cybersecurity, as well as jobs yet to even be imagined, so she encourages students and professionals to follow the new developments in the industry.

“Understanding how to repair these devices or how to best utilize them in the industry is increasingly important,” she said. “Cybersecurity is this ever-evolving field as the nuclear industry embraces more digital devices rather than the now obsolete analog devices.”

For those ready to explore the many opportunities the nuclear sector has to offer, besides reading her book, Johnson recommends ANS’s resources like the new Nuclear 101 course, in which professionals can learn more about the basics of nuclear. She also suggests checking out the NRC website and the IAEA’s Power Reactor Information System. “Once a person understands some basics about the industry, they can maneuver through and follow the developments taking place within the industry.”

Whether you’re a student planning your future, a professional seeking a new direction, or simply are curious about the nuclear field, Johnson’s book offers clarity, encouragement, and a road map to a career that matters.

Earnestine Johnson, PMP, has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry, mainly in design and components/programs engineering. Currently, she is a senior lead engineer at Entergy.