Year
2008
Abstract
The evolution of the nuclear industry over the past 50 years has been led by generations of professionals influenced by the aftermath of World War II and the dawn of the nuclear age as seen through the prism of the Cold War, its ultimate failure and now the transformation of a New World Order with different strategic alliances. With the birth, growth and advancement of the Baby Boomer generation (1946 – 1964) through the Cold War and emergence of Generation X in the 1970s to the 1990s and now making room for the Millennial Generation born in 2000 and beyond, the future workforce for nuclear will be undergoing dramatic pressures in the next 10+ years. As the older nuclear generations begin to retire, the nation’s ability to sustain a strong nuclear industry and workforce in light of today’s nuclear energy demands and security threats are at significant risks. The US must immediately reverse the significant decline in scientifically and technologically trained US workers; otherwise, America’s breakdown of intellectual and industrial capacity threatens national security and our capability to continue as a world leader. The paper and presentation highlights the national trends in engineering disciplines and identifies initiatives underway to address this critical national shortfall. While the problem is a national problem, the author will present a model that serves as an integrated methodology for guiding, promoting and leading local initiatives in support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) that is fundamental to solving the national crisis in Human Capital. The paper also addresses the challenges facing the S&S community and the need to rethink how future S&S professionals will be developed and trained in a competitive technical market.