Insights from a Stakeholder Engagement Workshop: Advancing Sociotechnical Competencies in Nuclear Education

This paper presents insights from a recent stakeholder engagement workshop focused on sociotechnical competencies in nuclear education, aimed at informing curriculum development for the next generation of nuclear workers. The workshop’s core objective was to gather perspectives from a diverse group of stakeholders working in the nuclear industry in order to update academic curricula. The updates aim to reflect the evolving needs of industry and government, emphasizing not only technical expertise but also the capacity to address complex societal constraints, including political, ethical, financial, and environmental considerations.To address this objective, a workshop was held at Vanderbilt University that brought together educators, industry leaders, and policymakers. The purpose was to identify the core skills required for future nuclear professionals. The methodology included pre- and post-workshop surveys in which participants ranked technical and sociotechnical competencies. In addition, panel discussions provided an in-depth exploration of these skills and their relevance.The evaluation of the workshop outcomes demonstrated consensus among attendees representing academia, industry, and policy stakeholders (comprised of government and nongovernmental organizations) regarding the importance of integrating sociotechnical competencies into nuclear education. The quantitative results indicated that nearly 70% of respondents believe it is essential for students to master sociotechnical skills. Among these skills, risk communication emerged as the most critical, with 95% of respondents identifying it as vital.Some differences in opinion were observed across the stakeholder groups. For example, nearly 90% of industry representatives deemed stakeholder engagement practices as essential or important, compared to 67% in academia and 75% among policymakers. Regardless of these differences, the overall findings underscored the necessity of including topics such as regulatory policy, waste management, risk communication, stakeholder engagement, and ethics in nuclear curricula.The implications of these findings are significant. By integrating sociotechnical competencies into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula, educational institutions can better prepare students to confront the multifaceted challenges facing the nuclear sector. This approach supports the growing need for reliable and clean energy and helps meet national energy security goals.