The US nuclear energy industry faces significant challenges in attracting and retaining sufficient qualified workers to meet current and future needs of the industry. Based on projections of US demographic data, there will be a lack of available skilled workers, and demographic shifts will create a highly competitive labor market where the industry will vie for limited talent.
It is worthwhile to note that this concern is not limited to the US but is global in nature. At the International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July 2024, the IAEA forecasted that global nuclear capacity will more than double and could potentially triple by 2050 which would require more than four million professionals to support the industry. With about one-third of the existing workforce expected to retire by 2033, the industry will need more than one million new workers to fill vacancies and support nuclear capacity growth. Key takeaways from the conference included the need to build strong partnerships, reach out to students early on, and evaluate and act on recruitment competition from other industries.
For its part, Westinghouse’s Americas Outage and Maintenance Service (AOMS) Team is acting on these recommendations through several different programs. One program underway is its Field Engineering Leadership Development Program (FELP). This initiative’s objective is to develop the next generation of field engineering leaders through a high-impact, rotational experience designed to build a strong, agile pipeline of diverse and talented technical leaders.
The FELP program is a structured 18-month immersive rotational program for degreed engineers designed to develop future leaders in outage and field engineering through technical training, hands-on assignments, and mentorship. Below are a few highlights of this new program architecture:
Nationwide recruitment of top engineering university graduates
3+ rotational assignments across AOMS segments and customer outages
1800+ hours of instruction covering PWR/BWR systems, outage execution and leadership skills all in a Lean environment
Integrated curriculum of technical, supervisory and soft skills training with Director and VP level mentorship
It is also important to note that this program is meant to target both internal and external talent, depending on basic qualifications and background. The goal is to identify early career talent (with 0-3 years of experience maximum) and develop them to meet the growing market and workforce demands. While we aggressively recruit externally and engage with local and university programs for candidates, applicable segment managers are also encouraged to reflect internally and consider any early career interns, field technicians, and other newer hires across the organization as well, as long as they meet the qualifications for the program. This helps us curate a diverse and inclusive program.
The first cohort of 6 engineers, which started in January 2026, consists of the employees listed below:
Logan Ellenberger | Penn State University Main
Oak Gaertner | Penn State University Behrend
Kathryn Harry | University of Pittsburgh Johnstown
Mason Ira | Robert Morris University
Brad Noyes | Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Garrett Tucker | Purdue University
Since January, these employees have been onboarded, participated in rotations in the Steam Generator Services and Inspection Services areas, performed technical work and each one participated in performing Spring 2026 outage work at various customer plants including Vogtle 1, Byron, Palo Verde, South Texas, Beaver Valley, Vogtle 3, Comanche Peak and Braidwood.
Upon returning from the outages, we asked for their thoughts/experiences to date. Here is what Oak and Garrett had to say:
Oak: “What drew me to FELP was the opportunity to learn across different groups within the company while gaining a broader understanding of how everything fits together. The most rewarding part so far has been the exposure to diverse teams and perspectives, which has accelerated my learning and helped me build strong relationships across the organization. The program really stands out for its intentional focus on development, collaboration, and giving early-career engineers meaningful insight into the company as a whole.”
Garrett: “I was drawn to FELP due to the breadth of topics covered. I’ve always enjoyed learning and field work and this program affords me the opportunity to do both. The most rewarding aspect of the program thus far has been learning about our business segments. Coming from our Fuel Fabricating Facility wing, I knew that we had operations dealing with outage support. However, until I came to OMS, I had never realized the depth of support we provide. It has been great to see another side of the business. There are a few things that make this program stand out. But foremost among them would be the diversity in the topics covered. Having the ability to learn the components of an operating plant on a granular level was one of the main selling points to me."
The FELP program is off to a great start. Recruiting for a second FELP cohort is underway with a start date in July 2026. Future cohorts will begin to overlap progressively as we prioritize having a constant flow of ready and trained resource pipeline talent.
Ready to launch your career in nuclear energy? Explore our Future Engineer Leadership Program and take the first step as a new graduate. Apply now: Westinghouse's New Grad Opportunities