In the United States and South Korea, the nuclear industries are experiencing a
decline in workforce. The shift away from nuclear in both countries can be cited as a
potential factor in the declining workforce, as the US is experiencing premature
reactor shutdowns and South Korea is experiencing a political shift towards an anti-
nuclear stance with the current administration’s Nuclear-Zero Policy that has halted
new builds of nuclear power plants and has put an end to life extensions. Small
reactor technologies may offer an opportunity to revitalize the nuclear industries of
both countries, but in order to create this opportunity, efforts must be taken to
revitalize the human resource aspect of the nuclear industry as well. In the US,
opportunities to improve the current nuclear workforce can begin with academia
through increased flexibility and options with emphasis on LWRs, fuel cycle,
materials, rector design, nonproliferation, criticality safety, and more; emphasis on
research opportunities can also be beneficial.
