Photos available for download at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/entergynuclear/sets
Jackson, Miss. – By 2016
approximately 40 percent of the nation’s nuclear power plant workers are
expected to reach retirement age. Entergy Nuclear is collaborating with
Excelsior College – a nonprofit, regionally accredited distance learning
institution based in Albany, N.Y. – to mitigate this potential workforce
shortage and accelerate its staffing pipeline.
Under the collaborative agreement,
Entergy employees and their spouses can pursue higher education at reduced
tuition rates. The facility will put a particular focus on the new associate in
science in nuclear technology, which is designed for students pursuing careers
as nuclear plant equipment operators. The curriculum adheres to the Nuclear
Energy Institute’s Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program. Through Excelsior
College, this curriculum is delivered entirely online.
“With 15,000 employees here at
Entergy and about 6,000 of them in nuclear, we are excited to provide an
additional opportunity to further their education and skills,” said Pete Persson,
vice president of human resources operations for Entergy. “This collaborative
effort with Excelsior College will not only benefit our employees, but serves as
a step we are taking to prepare for our future workforce needs.”
The NUCP provides a framework within
which potential plant staff can obtain the foundational knowledge of core
nuclear industry topics required by the National Academy for Nuclear Training.
Graduates of the program will receive a NANT certificate, allowing them to
bypass selected industry training requirements.
“This collaboration is intended to
develop the current workforce while also providing a ready supply of graduates
with the capabilities, knowledge and training to come in and advance into
technical positions,” said Dr. Jane LeClair, dean of Excelsior College’s School
of Business and Technology. “With the nuclear industry at a turning point,
Entergy is demonstrating the foresight necessary to lead in the coming decades."
Excelsior College is one of only 41
schools nationwide, and the only distance learning institution, to be approved
for a student chapter of the American Nuclear Society. In addition to its
associate program developed to meet the NUCP requirements, Excelsior’s
bachelor’s program in nuclear engineering technology is accredited by the
Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., a specialized
accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Excelsior College
http://www.excelsior.edu
is a regionally accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution that focuses
on removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners. Excelsior
College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated
energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail
distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the
second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers
electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and
approximately 15,000 employees.
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Twitter @EntergyNuclear
