Interns to Industry: Connecting students to the workforce

March 30, 2026, 6:59AMNuclear News
Women in Nuclear representatives give a presentation at UNC Charlotte during an event sponsored by Duke Energy as part of Nuclear Science Week in October 2025. (Photo: UNC Charlotte)

The nuclear industry has long recognized a shortage of both skilled craft labor and professional talent. As global demand for reliable energy continues to rise—across the United States and internationally—that need has not only increased but has become critical.” This is a truth that nuclear industry consultant Jeffery P. Hawkins understands, and it is why he developed a program called Interns to Industry. The former Fluor Corporation executive said that “there has been a deficit of qualified resources in the nuclear industry, and this is forecasted to be even more so in the future, so I am working with various universities to determine how to customize their curriculums to fit the forecasted needs of the industry.”