Framatome has broken ground on a USD50 million expansion of its Operational Center of Excellence in Lynchburg, Virginia, which provides specialised training and tooling to service and maintain North America's nuclear power plant fleet and develops solutions for advanced and small modular reactors.

The industry must seize the opportunities arising from a global change in the perception of nuclear energy, a panel session agreed during a side event at the World Energy Congress 2024. However, wide-scale collaboration is needed to ensure the industry can meet the expected growth in demand for nuclear power technology.

The nuclear power construction project in the UK has led to 8000 people being trained at specialist centres, and prompted a 25% increase in younger adults living in the area, according to the Hinkley Point C Socio-Economic Impact Report 2024.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a package of public and private investment to reinforce the country's nuclear workforce and support 40,000 expected new jobs in its defence and civil nuclear industry.

The centre includes a full-scale plant control room simulator, Reactor Protection System prototype, and virtual reality experience as well as offices and classrooms, and will be used to train future operators of X-energy's Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has said that gender equality "is not just right - it is imperative for net zero, battling cancer, and ending global hunger".

The UK civil and defence nuclear sectors have launched a "first-of-its kind collaborative cross-sector initiative" - known as Destination Nuclear - aimed at boosting the workforce to help deliver the country's nuclear expansion ambitions.

The decision to block access for staff yet to sign a contract with the Russian operators of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and its impact on safety, is going to be raised by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi when he visits the site next week.

With the Netherlands planning an expansion of its use of nuclear energy, various parties in the Dutch nuclear and education sectors have signed a declaration of intent aimed at boosting vocational education in nuclear technology.

Small modular reactor developer NuScale Power Corporation has announced measures, including the loss of 154 employees, which it says will save USD50-60 million a year and "better position itself commercially, financially, and strategically".

NuScale Power Corporation has announced the opening of the first privately-funded NuScale Energy Exploration Centre at Seoul National University in partnership with GS Energy Corporation, Doosan Enerbility and Samsung C&T Corporation.

The UK's Fusion Cluster report Growing the fusion workforce: Challenges and opportunities for the future says that "having the correct breadth and depth of skills is crucial" and says the sector must learn from other STEM industries in tackling issues such as lack of diversity.