Recent trends show that the nuclear industry is poisedforexpansionforthefirsttimeindecades. The greatest expansion is seen in Asia. Out of 15 new nuclear power plants connected to the grid during the period 2000-2002, 12 are in Asia. In 2002, all new nuclear plant construction was in Asia. Besides energy generation, nuclear technology has an important role in meeting basic human needs — clean water, modern health care and food security. The expansion in the nuclear industry requires a sustainable, qualified and experienced workforce to ensure a high level of safety and performance as well as the next generation of innovative technologies. Even where no expansion is foreseen, it is vital that steps are taken to prevent the loss of accumulated knowledge to ensure that the operation of existing nuclear facilities meets the highest safety requirements and to prepare for decommissioning activities. Ageing of the nuclear workforce in many countries has prompted the nuclear community to initiate various programmes to address the issue of the ageing workforce, which is worsened by the declining interest in the nuclear field among the young.
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