he nuclear industry's workforce shortage is real, but independent consultant
Chuck Goodnight doesn’t believe it’s either debilitating or critical to current
plant operations. Nor does he think it will be a problem in the future.
For the present, Goodnight sees other alternatives. Nuclear power plants can
team up with other plants, either owned by the same utility or by other utilities,
to share scarce human and material resources. "You can move people around if you
own more than one plant," he says. "If you’re only one operating plant, form an
alliance with others."
Two such alliances have been formed: STARS (Strategic Teaming and Resource Sharing)
and the Utilities Service Alliance. "The tactic is to act like or be a fleet," Goodnight
says.
Another alternative is to recruit from other industries that have high concentrations
of engineers. "Auto manufacturing and the airline industry are coming apart at the
seams," Goodnight says. "The refining industry is very volatile. There are highly
skilled people [in these industries] who will be seeking employment."
Permitting a broader range of people to work in nuclear power plants is also
an option, though rules that currently permit only U.S. citizens to take these jobs
would have to change. "There were a lot of nuclear plants and vessels in the former
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and there are a lot of ex-nuclear personnel from
there who are available," Goodnight says. "But we’d have to change the Homeland
Security rules. After all, national security also requires a safe, independent energy
supply."
Workforce Management, April 23, 2007, p. 22
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