Nuclear Reactor Safety Training and Workforce Development Program

Description

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA-0003410. As part of the whole-of-government approach to advance equity and encourage worker organizing and collective bargaining,5,6,7 and in alignment with BIL sections as outlined in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. This FOA and any related activities will seek to encourage meaningful engagement and participation of workforce organizations, including labor unions, as well as underserved groups and disadvantaged communities, including Federally Recognized Indian Tribes. Consistent with Executive Order (EO) 14008,8 this FOA is designed to help meet the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, as defined pursuant to the Executive Order9, and to drive creation of accessible, good-paying jobs with the free and fair chance for workers to join a union. To meet the needs of an expanding nuclear reactor fleet, the nuclear energy workforce is estimated to require 375,000 additional trained workers to research, design, build, maintain, and operate new reactors, while maintaining the current nuclear reactor fleet. More information on these needs can be found at: https://liftoff.energy.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230320-Liftoff-Advanced-Nuclear-vPUB-0329-Update.pdf. To address this challenge, all applications to this FOA must: • Establish a consortium with Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), for-profit entities, nonprofit entities, State and local governmental entities, Indian Tribes, DOE/ National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) FFRDCs, labor organizations/unions, and utilities. • Identify gaps in training, recruiting, and retaining skilled workers in the current nuclear workforce. • Develop or enhance one or more industry recognized nuclear reactor safety credential(s) that can be used to establish a national standard for workers to work across reactor types. • Identify pathways for sustainability of developed training programs and certificates past the project period of performance by establishing multi-stakeholder and industry-wide partnerships, proposing implementation plans following the program, and training module development.

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