Nuclear jobs: How personnel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant are trained

The training of specialists for the Belarusian nuclear power plant began in 2008 as part of a dedicated government program. The program was reformatted later on but the main principle remained unchanged: to create an effective national system for training specialists for the nuclear industry. As many as 125 people will be admitted to universities this year as part of the subprogram on training nuclear industry personnel of the government program on education and youth policy for the 2016-2020 period.

The nuclear power plant takes one third of the graduates

At present specialists are trained for nuclear industry jobs in the Belarusian State University, the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, and the Belarusian National Technical University, BelTA learned from Nikolai Maruda, a consultant of the Higher Education Office of the Central Office for Vocational Training of the Belarusian Education Ministry. As many as 180 people were admitted to universities per year in the first few years, but the figure was adjusted later to 125 people. Three specializations are trained in the Belarusian State University, another one in the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, and another one in the Belarusian National Technical University.

Since the first students were admitted in 2008, the first specialists graduated in 2013. About 850 people have graduated over the entire period. About one third of them have found jobs at the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Another third are employed by organizations of the Energy Ministry and organizations that work with sources of ionizing radiation. Another third work in industries that are allied to the nuclear energy industry.

According to the source, the distribution is compliant with recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which advises training triple the amount of specialists the Belarusian nuclear power plant needs. “One third of the graduates went to the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The number of specialists we train exceeds the required number by three times so that the most skillful and well-trained ones get those jobs after graduation,” Nikolai Maruda explained.

The employers include heat power plants, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor), the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the power engineering industry design institute Belnipienergoprom, the National Cancer Center of Belarus, and the radiation measurement equipment manufacturer Atomtex.

Nikolai Maruda continued: “The main task of the universities is to train specialists with basic higher education, theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. When combined with special training, the knowledge and skills will result in the qualification the nuclear energy industry requires. Once employed at the Belarusian nuclear power plant, the young graduates can take advanced training. Apart from that, constant self-improvement is available in the education and training center under the aegis of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.”

The current program on education and youth policy will be finished this year. There are plans to put together another program like that for the 2021-2025 period. A subprogram on training personnel for the nuclear energy industry will be part of the new program.

“In order to keep a nuclear power plant running for at least 60 years, the workforce needs to be replenished every year. The demand for specialists in the period till 2031 is under consideration. Requests for information have been sent to the government agencies relating to nuclear energy industry. We are evaluating how many specialists the country will need,” the consultant noted.

Competition for admission to the Belarusian State University

The Belarusian State University trains specialists for the nuclear energy industry within the framework of government contracts, including for the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Three specializations are available: nuclear physics and technology (the physics department), high-energy chemistry (the chemistry department), nuclear and radiation safety (the International Sakharov Environmental Institute of the Belarusian State University).

Slightly more than 300 people are studying these specializations now. The Belarusian State University attributed the strong interest in these specializations to the high demand for nuclear and radiation safety specialists. The demand is driven by the construction and forthcoming commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Apart from that, it is necessary to take care of nuclear and radiation safety at existing nuclear and radiation installations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, radiation installations of ministries and government agencies.

The physics department trains specialists directly for the nuclear power plant and for the nuclear energy industry as a whole. “Prospective students demonstrate steady interest in this specialization. Admission scores have been some of the highest or the highest ones of the physics department for the last few years,” Belarusian State University representatives explained. “Peculiarities include advanced training in physics and math, studies of special disciplines such as nuclear reactor physics, nuclear power plant equipment, nuclear technologies, nuclear equipment materials, and the impact of ionizing radiation on biological objects.”

The graduates most often than not find employment with the Belarusian nuclear power plant, nuclear industry enterprises, oversight agencies (for instance, Gosatomnadzor), medical radiology institutions, research institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (for instance, the energy and nuclear research institute Sosny), instrument-making and radioelectronic industry enterprises.

Highly trained graduates of the chemistry department apply for postgraduate studies at the Belarusian State University, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and the Moscow State University. The graduates are sought after by divisions of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor), various research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, chemical industry and pharmaceutical industry enterprises.

As part of the training at the International Sakharov Environmental Institute students can receive in-service education in leading foreign higher education institutions and nuclear industry organizations. The main foreign partners include the regional educational network STAR-NET (Austria), the European Nuclear Safety Training & Tutoring Institute (ENSTTI, France), the Kozloduy nuclear power plant (Bulgaria), Russian institutes.

Lectures on special disciplines are delivered by specialists of the leading foreign education institutions (the Royal Institute of Technology, (Sweden), the Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering, the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, TVEL Fuel Company). The best graduates are offered postgraduate education opportunities in leading foreign universities at the expense of the state budget.

Focus on practice and assistance to the International Atomic Energy Agency in the BSUIR

The radio technology and electronics department of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics trains specialists for nuclear energy industry. Students major in electronic and information-management systems of physical installations. As many as 30 people have been admitted every year since 2013 to study this specialization. There are about 100 students now. There are no plans to train more than 30 specialists per year because the number matches needs of the relevant enterprises in Belarus.

The training of personnel for nuclear energy industry is focused on practice. Thanks to the relevant government program the students receive undergraduate training at operating nuclear energy installations in Western Europe and the Russian Federation. This is why they have to speak English well in addition to knowing their jobs. Practical skills are taught at various nuclear power plants and the International Atomic Energy Agency HQ in Austria.

Students are also sent for undergraduate training to the enterprises that supply equipment to nuclear power plants (the Dukhov Automatics Research Institute) and organizations that train specialists for nuclear power plants (the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna).

Internship abroad is available to professors, too. A lot of internship abroad was organized during the initial stage right after the specialization became available. Apart from that, leading European and Russian specialists with extensive practical experience of working at existing nuclear power plants are involved in the education process. IAEA specialists are some of them.

Nuclear power plant equipment and a special nuclear reactor simulator are used as part of the training process. The Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics managed to acquire the latter with assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The knowledge the graduates have comes in handy in many areas: steam power plants, research institutes, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor), various nuclear industry enterprises, enterprises of the Belarusian national energy company Belenergo, companies residing in the Hi-Tech Park. About ten graduates have been given jobs at the Belarusian nuclear power plant every year for the last few years.

New specializations in the Belarusian National Technical University

Up till now the university has been training nuclear industry specialists majoring in steam turbine plants of nuclear power plants. A new specialization has been added this year: design and operation of nuclear and electric power plants.

In 2020 alone 12 graduates majoring in steam turbine plants of nuclear power plants went to work at the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

The new specialization was introduced upon requests of the Belarusian nuclear power plant and nuclear energy industry infrastructure organizations. The first few graduates working at the Belarusian nuclear power plant have come to understand that the specialization should have a larger scope so that the graduates could work in various organizations.

Just like the previous specialization the new one will offer internship opportunities abroad. In particular, future nuclear industry specialists have visited the Mochovce nuclear power plant in Slovakia, the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria, and other power plants.

There are plans to admit 20 people to study the new specialization.