Twenty-five nuclear training programmes have been shortlisted for the first annual NEI magazine training awards. The shortlisted courses represent some of the best training courses in the nuclear industry worldwide. The awards are aimed not at people, but at programmes and institutions that promote skills development.
More than 40 applications were received for just five awards. David Whitmore, Atkins engineering and technical director, and one of the judges, said of the shortlisted candidates that "There was a high calibre of entries, which in itself is encouraging."
They will now be judged by an expert panel to compete for the top honour. Winners will be announced, and profiled, in the January 2014 issue of NEI magazine. The five Training Awards judges are experts in different fields of civil nuclear power. They are: Jacques Regaldo, chairman of WANO, the World Association of Nuclear Operators; Ulrik von Estorff, operating agent, European Human Resources Observatory for the Nuclear Energy Sector, EC JRC, Institute for Energy and Transport, Petten, Netherlands; Ronald Knief, Sandia National Laboratories TA-V Nuclear Facility Training Coordinator & Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer, New Mexico; David Whitmore, Atkins engineering and technical director; James Varley, group managing editor, Progressive Media Group (publishers of Nuclear Engineering International magazine).
The shortlisted applications are listed below (in alphabetical order, by category):
Training course of the year (less than 1 year in duration)
Alstom, Risk Hunter
Exelon, Introduction to Power Plant Operation
NTEC diploma
TECNATOM, Extensive Damage Mitigation Guidelines
World Nuclear University Summer Institute
Training course of the year (more than 1 year in duration)
AREVA General Management Programme (GMP)
FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, European Masters in Nuclear Applications EMiNA
(UK) National Skills Academy Nuclear, Certificate of Nuclear Professionalism
University of Manchester Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Nuclear Engineering
Universities of Manchester and Sheffield, EPSRC Nuclear First Doctoral Training Centre
Apprenticeship of the year
Technical University Vienna/Atominstitut, Eastern European Research Reactor Coalition (EERRI)
Institut Régional Universitaire Polytechnique (IRUP) Saint Etienne, Higher Technician for Maintenance in Nuclear
Institut Régional Universitaire Polytechnique (IRUP) Saint Etienne, Operation Supervisor in Nuclear
Interserve, Mechanical Apprenticeship
Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd, Apprenticeship programme
Workplace training course of the year
AREVA Training Center Offenbach, Know-Why Residual Heat Removal System
EDF Energy, Nuclear Leadership Programme
Institut Supérieur des Techniques de la Performance, Nuclear Engineering Master’s degree
International Nuclear Academy, SAFETYNUC
Ontario Power Generation, Conduct of Engineering Workshop
Industry skills programme of the year
The Canadian Nuclear Industry Leadership Program (CNI-LP)
EDF Energy/Sizewell, B Duly Authorised Person – Fuel Route Training Programme
(UK) National Skills Academy for Nuclear, The Triple Bar Existing Sites
Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Fit for Nuclear
Sellafield Ltd, Technical Specialist Trainee (TST) Scheme
