Entergy Nuclear on June 14 said it is partnering with Excelsior College, a nonprofit, regionally accredited distance learning institution in Albany, N.Y., to mitigate a potential workforce shortage and accelerate its staffing pipeline for the nuclear power industry. By 2016, Entergy said, about 40 percent of the nation’s nuclear power plant workers are expected to reach retirement age.

Under the agreement, Entergy (NYSE: ETR) 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.

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 (NANT). Graduates of the program will receive a NANT certificate, allowing them to bypass selected industry training requirements.

Excelsior College is one of only 41 schools nationwide to be approved for a student chapter of the American Nuclear Society.

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