As the nuclear energy industry continues to develop and build more cost-effective and efficient modular nuclear reactors, the need for a well-trained and highly skilled workforce continues to grow.
The Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap (NEAR) aims to help meet this demand by offering a first-of-its-kind blueprint to strengthen pathways into nuclear careers, enhance educational infrastructure, and inspire a new generation of leaders in the field.
NEAR is a collaborative initiative of the Partnership for Nuclear Energy, an ORAU-led comprehensive think tank comprised of leading universities, community colleges and technical skill training organizations, industries producing nuclear reactors large and small, professional industry organizations, national research laboratories, and government agencies.
“By bringing together voices from across academia, industry and government, we’ve created a document that is not only comprehensive but also uniquely positioned to address challenges and opportunities in nuclear education and workforce development,” said Michelle Goodson, SHRM-SCP, director of the ORAU STEM Accelerator and the PNE. “The nuclear industry plays a key role in meeting the nation’s demand for power generation, but projections indicate a challenging labor market for the next decade and into the 2060s.”
The U.S. Department of Energy projects the nuclear energy sector will require over 375,000 skilled workers by 2050 to sustain ongoing nuclear power operations and continue next-generation reactor deployment.
NEAR is organized around four strategic priority areas:
- Enhancing nuclear career awareness informs people about various jobs, career paths, and earning potential. It aids students in choosing careers in the nuclear industry and helps employees find growth opportunities.
- Supporting pipeline and pathway development aims to boost the number and diversity of workers and create pathways that link students and workers to job opportunities and higher education, helping them advance through different stages of their careers.
- Identifying financial support, resources and programs ensures that financial barriers do not hinder students from pursuing careers in the nuclear field and guarantees the continuity and effectiveness of educational programs.
- Optimizing academic resources through collaboration involves sharing adaptable educational coursework and tools, equipment, and facilities among learning institutions to save time and money while helping to ensure consistent learning experiences across various educational settings.
A proactive approach to secure and retain qualified workers is required, Goodson said. NEAR’s focus on comprehensive workforce capacity building seeks to cultivate a robust and skilled talent pool for the nuclear energy sector.
“This is not just a document – it’s a blueprint for our future,” she said. “By bridging educational gaps and creating clear pathways for emerging talent, we are investing in the next generation of nuclear professionals who will drive innovation, ensure safety and contribute to sustainable energy solutions.”
NEAR was released during the 2025 Nuclear Energy Conference and Expo held this week in Atlanta. The document was developed with the support of Lori Brady, senior director of human resources and workforce development at the Nuclear Energy Institute; lead authors are Sue Magidson, CRESP, Ph.D. candidate and executive consultant at Vanderbilt University, and Lyn Potter, Ed.D., department head of engineering systems at Chattanooga State Community College.
NEAR was supported in part by the Department of Energy (DE-FC01-06EW07053) through the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) and Vanderbilt University. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. DOE, Vanderbilt University, and other participating universities/organizations.