How to become a nuclear specialist?

Nuclear energy is a high-tech and versatile field that offers exciting career opportunities both in Estonia and internationally. Although there is not yet a specific bachelor's or master's degree programme in nuclear energy in Estonia, it is available at a number of foreign universities. But how can a young Estonian get there?

Nuclear energy as a postgraduate speciality

Studies in nuclear energy usually start at Master's level. This means that people entering the field come from a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds - for example, energy, mechanics, chemistry, engineering, physics and other engineering and science disciplines.

There are already a number of specialists from Estonia who have studied nuclear engineering abroad, including in Sweden, Switzerland, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition to nuclear energy, there are also a number of related disciplines such as nuclear medicine, radiology, materials technology, astrophysics, plasma physics, etc.

For a good overview of learning opportunities in Europe European Nuclear Society database: 🔗 https://www.euronuclear.org/education-training/education/

How to finance education?

Studying in the European Union is often free of charge, which makes quality education available to young people in Estonia. In addition, a number of scholarships are available:

  • Fermi Scholarship - supports studies in nuclear energy at foreign universities.
  • Kristjan Jaak scholarship - allows you to study abroad with the support of the Estonian state.
  • Erasmus programme - offers additional support for studying at European universities.
  • Kepco International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS) - Master's programme supported by the Korean nuclear industry

Vocational education and training programmes for operators

In addition to professionals with a university degree, the nuclear sector also needs people with a strong vocational education. In the future, specific training programmes will be launched to enable people to become nuclear plant operators or technical maintenance specialists on the basis of a secondary school or vocational education.

There is a need for professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, including:

  • electrical engineers
  • automation engineers
  • chemists
  • process engineers
  • lockpad
  • thermal engineers

Why choose nuclear?

Nuclear energy offers the opportunity to contribute to clean and sustainable energy production, while contributing to climate change mitigation and energy security in Estonia. The sector is international and technologically advanced, with job opportunities in Estonia and around the world.

In the future, you can work with, for example:

  • Fermi Energias
  • public authorities (including nuclear safety and regulatory authorities)
  • international organisations such as the IAEA
  • maintenance and consultancy firms
  • research institutions and universities

If you wish, you can also specialise in research and development, contributing to the development of new technologies. There are many exciting projects in fields such as medicine, space and fusion energy. Estonia's own GScan is a good example of a deep technology.

Future job opportunities in Estonia

On 12 June 2024, the Riigikogu decided to start preparations for the introduction of nuclear energy in Estonia. This means that work is underway:

  • the creation of a supervisory authority
  • development of a nuclear energy law
  • carrying out special national planning
  • detailed planning of the project (timetables, budgets, funding, locking, etc.).

Fermi Energia plans to start construction of the plant around 2030. The need for a project team will already increase in the coming years, reaching around 100 people by the start of construction. The construction will also see the training and recruitment of an operations team during the construction phase, which will start with the commissioning and start-up of the plant.

There are a number of different international organisations and programmes that provide support to countries and institutions wishing to develop nuclear energy. One of the most important of these is certainly the International Atomic Energy Agency, which assists Member States with various guidelines, training programmes and expert missions. World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) organises a range of training and peer-review programmes. The Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) helps to ensure that nuclear safety is maintained at a consistently high level in Member States around the world. There are many other organisations and training and assistance programmes. In addition, transnational cooperation programmes, for example between neighbouring countries, also play an important role. Once a project is so far advanced that a specific reactor technology is selected, the supplier of that technology will help to train the engineers and the more detailed technical knowledge of the specifics and nuances of the particular design, while also carrying out training for future operators, thus ensuring that the necessary competence is in place when it is needed.

How has Fermi Energy contributed to education?

The development of competences is a long and time-consuming process to which we are already contributing with scholarships for master's studies at foreign universities well as domestic summer schools and the free courses for modern nuclear energy free material. We are or have been involved in a range of initiatives supporting engineering and energy education, such as. Positron, Enerhack, Lae End, Key to the Future etc.

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