Countering the nuclear workforce shortage narrative

Rullion is a recruitment company headquartered in Altrincham, England.

Popular industry: Chamberlain noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency forecasts that the nuclear industry will need to acquire four million new professionals by 2050 to support the expected expansion in nuclear capacity. This challenge is frequently referred to as a “workforce shortage.”

The author countered by arguing that nuclear energy is “actually the most actively sought-after industry among specialist candidates, and with the right outreach and candidate experience the nuclear sector can capture this enthusiasm and secure the skills it needs for the future.”

Momentum and abundance: Chamberlain pointed to several workforce developments to bolster his argument that scarcity is not a problem, and that there are signs of momentum and abundance for the nuclear workforce:

• Job search activity on the Rullion website demonstrates strong nuclear sector interest.
• The five most popular nuclear positions by job advertisement visits and applications on the Rullion site are decommissioning team lead, senior safety case engineer, nuclear safety case developer, and principal nuclear integration engineer.
• In the United Kingdom, nuclear employment has surged, especially in the southwestern region, driven largely by projects like Hinkley Point C.
• France's nuclear sector is the U.K.’s third largest industrial sector.
• In the United States, the “nuclear sector employed 68,008 workers in 2023, an increase of more than 1800 jobs from the previous year.”

Transferable skills: Chamberlain acknowledged that the experience of prospective employees remains inconsistent. “An outstanding candidate experience is non-negotiable if the nuclear sector is to secure the workforce it needs,” he wrote. “Streamlined processes and genuine engagement with candidates are what set leading employers apart.”

To recruit employees with the right experience, he recommended that nuclear companies consider people from oil and gas, aerospace, chemicals, and defense industries, which, he said, have significant skills that overlap with nuclear. Such skills “have medium to high transferability into sectors like nuclear.” He added that nuclear employers should invest in training programs, apprenticeships, and fast-track schemes that “nuclearize” prospects from other fields.

Appealing to youth: Chamberlain suggested that the nuclear industry do a better job in engaging young people by appealing to their interests in climate change, energy innovation, purpose-driven work, and clear career progression.

Industry of choice: Chamberlain ended his article by urging the nuclear industry to adopt broader hiring strategies and a robust vision for what working in nuclear can be. “The sector must stop asking ‘Where is the talent?’ and start asking ‘How can we be the industry of choice’?”