RUNNING HEAD: INPO 1

The National Academy for Nuclear Training

Final Project

Tina Snyder

Post University

Author Note:

This paper was prepared for Education 505, MOD D4, taught by Professor Sandra Foster

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 2

Introduction

In 1979 the Three Mile Island (Londonderry Township) power station, located in

Pennsylvania, experienced a malfunction in its cooling system which destroyed one of the plant‟s

nuclear reactors. The accident caused the release of radioactive gas which though not enough to

cause injuries or health effects, was enough to cause extensive public concern and confusion

(Londonderry Township, 2006).

In response to the TMI accident President Jimmy Carter appointed a twelve-member

commission to investigate the incident and its possible impact on the health and safety of the

public and of the plant personnel. This commission was headed by a man named John Kemeny,

and came to be known as the Kemeny Commission (Londonderry Township, 2006).

After its investigation, the Kemeny Commission recommended that the U.S. nuclear energy

industry establish a set of industry standards and within nine months the Institute of Nuclear

Power Operations was founded (Rennhack, 2007).

In 1980 INPO identified a need to train entry-level engineers for work on nuclear power

plants, so it established its training organization: The National Academy for Nuclear Training.

This organization consists of the training and educational activities of all U.S. nuclear companies

that are members of the National Academy and INPO (Nuclear Energy Institute, 2012).

Purpose

The purpose National Academy for Nuclear Training is to provide training and support

for all nuclear power professionals across the United States. It offers instructor-led training

sessions at its facility in Atlanta and online training sessions. It also evaluates training programs

of individual nuclear power plants. These evaluations assist the plants in identifying the strengths

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 3

of the training programs offered and recommend improvements (Institute of Nuclear Power

Operations, 2012).

INPO Membership

All U.S. organizations that operate commercial nuclear power plants are members of

INPO. There are also INPO participants that include nuclear operating organizations in other

countries, and engineering firms. INPO contracted with the Department of Energy to provide

member and participant company employees with access to certain INPO products and services.

This includes participation in training courses at INPO's offices in Atlanta and access to INPO‟s

secure nuclear network. This network contains recommendations for training development and

delivery (The Office of Health, 2011).

INPO’s Mission

The mission of INPO‟s National Academy for Nuclear Training is “to strengthen training

and to enhance the pride and professionalism of nuclear plant personnel” (Rennhack, 2007, para.

11). It strives to administer courses that promote the development, involvement and

professionalism of power plant personnel, managers and supervisors. It does so by conducting

workshops and courses using actual plant components and equipment as well as scale models,

and administering online training. INPO‟s training programs are accredited through an

independent agency known as the National Nuclear Accrediting Board, and each training

program must renew its accreditation every four years (Rennhack).

Current Technology Utilized in Training

According to ( Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A. & Haywood, K.,2011) in

The 2011 Horizon Report, in order to meet the future demands of training needs, organizations

will have to adapt training methods that utilize cutting edge technology and meet the

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 4

requirements of its trainees. INPO does this by implementing the most current technology

available. The current technologies being used for training in INPO are gesture-based computing

and learning analytics. Trainers in the nuclear service sector have simulators and models that

immolate actual nuclear plant reactors. Trainees are able to practice procedures on these models

with supervision before having to do the work on an actual reactor; thereby decreasing the

opportunity for human performance error. INPO‟s learning analytics is currently limited to

training assessment and evaluation; however this analysis is effective in its implementation of

training session improvements for its own training sessions and for the training of INPO

members and participants (Johnson, et. al.).

Since INPO implemented its training organization the nuclear industry‟s training

programs have been increasingly successful, and the number of professional staff and space

dedicated to training has increased substantially. The investments in training have produced

substantial improvements in the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants (Rennhack, 2007).

Futuring and Scenarios

Futuring is a science that analyzes history and current trends to explore possible

alternative „futures‟ and predict future scenarios. It is an important tool for educational

institutions as it encourages students to consider the possible impacts of different choices and

strategies as they envision the future that they want to see (Boyd, 2011))

According to (Mietzner & Reger, 2005), in theory, are a combination of different ideas

that form pictures of possible futures. As a means of forecasting future events scenarios can be

useful by creating distance from the present and allowing the creation of alternative futures.

Bracken (2008) states that scenarios are an ideal learning tool for instruction. They assist

students in framing problems, and allow them to look at problems from alternate viewpoints. He

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 5

writes “The future‟s unknowability makes scenarios a key tool for meeting the challenges of a

turbulent world” (Bracken).

Scenarios allow the mind to imagine possibilities. Through scenarios the organization can

challenge its internal belief system, its corporate culture, and persuade management to rethink

strategies. Scenarios also foster communication by encouraging members of the organization to

share aims, opportunities, risks, and strategies. This supports coordination and improves the

organization‟s decision-making process (Mietzner & Reger, 2005).

One disadvantage in using scenarios is that can be extremely time consuming, as

scenario building involves collecting and interpreting data from different sources. This requires

that the participants involved in the process possess a considerable amount of knowledge

concerning the situation being evaluated. For this reason selecting participants to take part in the

process can prove difficult. Another disadvantage is the participant‟s may want to slant the

scenario toward the most likely situation or what they want to see happen (Mietzner & Reger,

2005).

Scanning

One way to build a scenario is the use of scanning, or environmental scanning. John

Mahaffie describes environmental scanning as “a process for monitoring an organization‟s

internal and external environments for clues to change that could mean new threats and

opportunities” (2008, para. 1). Scanning is used to look for signs about how the world is

changing. There are many ways to scan including reading the news, watching television,

YouTube, and attending events (Mahaffie).

The scanner analyzes the internal and external environment for evidence of trends that

relate to the current situation. Scanning assists in determining the organization‟s experience, and

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 6

understanding current external events that could affect the organization. This attempts to identify

forces and change-drivers that can drive the future, and lead to alternative outcomes. Scanning is

useful in forming scenarios as it forms a baseline that can be used to trend what could happen,

identifies weak areas in historical data (Hines, 2006).

Scanning can be challenging for researchers because of the amount of data that needs to

be researched and analyzed. According to the Apollo Research Institute (2011), workers must be

able to effectively filter data and focus on what is important. The skill of data filtering will

become more necessary as future trends develop (p. 12).

Mahaffie (2008) reminds the reader the key benefits of environmental scanning include

thinking outside of the scope of the organization and early detection of changes that can affect it.

Organizations use the information obtained in scanning to form future scenarios. In turn these

scenarios can be used to compare what can happen with the scenario that the organization want

to see happen. The gap between these scenarios is analyzed to develop strategic actions and

contingency plans. By envisioning what could happen the organization can equip itself to

manage the uncertainty of the future (Hines, 2006).

Skilled Personnel in the Nuclear Industry

The nuclear power industry faces a growing demand for skilled personnel for various

tasks surrounding power plants to meet increasing energy demands: existing power plants must

be refurbished; aging power plants need to be decommissioned; and new plants need to be built.

Recognizing this need for future nuclear professionals the International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA) is working with government agencies to develop policies, strategies, and to consolidate

best practices in nuclear education. Included in the identified best practices are cooperation

between educational and training institutions, and the use of networks and technology. Because

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some countries have difficulty in accessing reactor laboratories IAEA innovative technology

includes the use of virtual reactor laboratories and remote learning activities (International

Atomic Energy Agency, 2011).

University of Oxford (2008) states that employers need to vamp up their employees‟

technological skills in order to remain competitive internationally. These future technological

skills, according to the Apollo Research Institute‟s Report, Future work skills 2020, include: use

of simulations, statistical analysis of vast amounts of data, the ability to use new media

effectively, being able to filter vast amounts of information, and virtual collaboration (Davies,

A., Fidler, D., & Gorbis, M., 2011). Many young people entering the workforce have already

developed these skills. If current employees want to remain competitive then they will have to

keep up with technology by utilizing life-long learning opportunities, many of which will be

found online.

Web 2.0 and Social Networking

Because the nuclear industry is advocating remote learning and the use of technology for

training, the trend toward social networking is important. Nick van Dam (2012) defines social

learning as “the interaction between two or more people utilizing social media and/or other

collaborative technologies to facilitate exchanges in knowledge acquisition.” Organizations are

finding that they benefit from these networks due to the increased speed of access to knowledge

and external experts. One example of social networking is simulations which are already in place

in several nuclear training centers (Dam, 2012).

The 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning report (Blackboard K-12 & Project

Tomorrow, (2008) states that “organizations are becoming increasingly amplified by the use of

social technologies.” (Sobrero) Social networks are powerful tools that link learners and experts

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in one shared workspace. These networks will continue to grow in popularity as they give

today‟s learners the ability to receive information anywhere at any time (Knowledge Works,

2008).

Social networks developed through the use of Web 2.0 which is defined as internet

technology that connects users by utilizing blogs, wikis, and social networking (TechTerms,

2008). According to University of Oxford, Nottingham University, Sero Consulting, Kable, &

Oakleigh Consulting Ltd. (2008), young people are becoming increasingly skilled at multi-

tasking using Web 2.0 technologies by utilizing laptop computers, cell phones, and game

consoles. This trend toward the use of technology affects the way in which learning is viewed

and preferred. The report, Learning in the 21st century: 2009 trends update (Blackboard K-12 &

Project Tomorrow, 2009), shows that since 2006 there has been a 40% increase in students in

grades 6th

– 12th

that prefer learning online. Some primary educators are taking advantage of this

preference by adding virtual learning environments to their curriculum. One such program is the

HARP Project which is designed to uses augmented reality learning environments by way of

wireless handheld computers that are equipped with global positioning system receivers

(Harvard, 2012). These young people will be entering the workforce within the next decade and

employers will need to modify training delivery in order to accommodate this increasing trend

toward online learning. The nuclear industry is no exception.

Demographics

According to the Education Commission of the United States (ECUS) (2012), there is a

rapid growth of people in the workforce who are age 65 or over. As technology advances the

aging workforce will need to adapt in order to remain competitive in the job market (Education

Commission of the United States).

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 9

One way older workers will adapt will be to enroll in continuing education courses. This

need will increase the demand for postsecondary education. According to Ross-Gordon (2011),

“projections of higher education enrollment from 2007–2018 suggest that the number of students

over twenty-five will remain stable or increase during the current decade, and that 73 percent of

those students could be viewed as nontraditional” (para. 1). These nontraditional students include

adult learners who are employed full-time and are attending college part time. Influencing this

trend are changes in technology and shifting workplace demands.

These trends in demographics will impact my project because it will be challenging to

employers to adapt their training methods and design training that will fulfill the needs of adult

learners while still managing to keep younger trainees motivated and engaged.

The Future of INPO’s Training Program

INPO‟s future training program for nuclear power workers will become less and less

classroom based. Training will begin using the internet. As more access to the internet becomes

more secure trainees will be able to review procedures on mobile devices. Training completion

will be stored on a national learning management system which all nuclear power plants have

access to by way of a code which only gives access to the data needed for that particular site.

Once the workers tasks are identified they will be grouped with other trainees and as a

group they will spend time in a training center which is equipped with terminals where they will

assist one another in working through the tasks in a virtual (gaming) environment. Once the task

has been mastered in this fashion the group will advance to a training room where they will be

given equipment to wear which will place them into a virtual nuclear reactor. In this environment

they will be given various scenarios and problems that they have to work through in order to

become comfortable performing the task. After the trainees have worked through all possible

ACADEMY OF NUCLEAR TRAINING 10

scenarios in this fashion to the satisfaction of the instructor they will be deployed to the nuclear

power site.

Once the trainee is at the nuclear power plant it will be necessary for he or she to perform

the task in front of a manager or supervisor, and they must do so correctly and without hesitation

in order to be considered qualified to perform the task. Being able to practice these tasks in

several safe environments will increase efficiency and decrease the likelihood of human error.

Increasing safety and decreasing human error are becoming increasingly important since

the accident at Fukishima. INPO will have to vamp up its‟ training programs in order to increase

safety and instill confidence in the American public. As energy demands increase, the demand

for clean energy will also increase and nuclear energy is a viable solution for the impending

future energy deficit.

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