The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) announced yesterday that new industry standards make it easier for graduates of training programs to qualify for jobs at nuclear plants.
Both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Nuclear Society have updated their guidelines for nuclear power plant personnel.
“The new ANSI standard offers a number of improvements and all sites can benefit by starting to update their technical specifications for educational and training guidelines,” NEI’s senior manager for strategic workforce planning Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides said.
Currently, employees at nuclear plants must be on the job for two years to become qualified at their positions, regardless of training. Under the new standard, education counts as experience for graduates of nuclear programs, with each year of schooling equivalent to six months of plant experience. This will cut the required two-year on-the-job training and permit graduates to reach qualified status earlier.
