Is Nuclear engineering a smart career choice?

Hey, i am fascinated with nuclear technlology and engineering, but everywhere i look, some people say it's a great career move with tonnes of jobs, and some people say there are absolutely no jobs available.

What do you guys think?

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Bit of a gamble in the current climate in the UK.

Reply 3

FuLLuPMepOrtION

Original post by ChemistBoy

Bit of a gamble in the current climate in the UK.

What about outside the UK, i.e Asia or North America?

Reply 4

Daniel George

In North Korea maybe...

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

fat_hobbit

Original post by Daniel George

In Korea maybe...

North Korea

Reply 6

Daniel George

Original post by fat_hobbit

North Korea

changed, but South Korea have nuclear weapons as well, but says its for "peaceful purposes only" :confused:

Reply 7

HeavyTeddy

With fukishima (sp?) I don't think governments are going to increase the amount of nuclear plants around. My guess is is that they are going to close quite a few plants down as it's too risky. So no, its not very stable. If I was you I'd probably do a more recognised form of engineering like chemical eng, as it still relates a little to nuclear eng.

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Reply 8

Rakas21

Original post by HeavyTeddy

Incorrect, polls indicate that in the UK at least there has been little effect. The UK government also wants to build at least 8.

OP, there are tonnes of related jobs in China and India but in terms of the west renewable is the way we are generally headed.

Reply 9

HeavyTeddy

Original post by Rakas21

Wow thats suprising, but fair enough.

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Reply 10

Rakas21

Original post by HeavyTeddy

Wow thats suprising, but fair enough.

Posted from TSR Mobile

The Germans scrapped there's but that is just opportunity because the Green Party there was quite strong at the time.

The problem in the UK appears to be cost which is delaying things.

Reply 11

ChemistBoy

Original post by FuLLuPMepOrtION

What about outside the UK, i.e Asia or North America?

I think that many of the regimes that are building nukes in asia probable won't be so keen on non-nationals being involved in their nuclear programmes. As for North America there aren't many new nukes in the offing, shale gas is really the only show in town at the moment.

Reply 12

ChemistBoy

Original post by Rakas21

The UK government also wants to build at least 8.

Well, the UK government expects the private sector to build them and, despite the warm words, concrete action in supporting new build nuclear hasn't appeared and many companies have or are imminently considering pulling out of new build activities in the UK.

Reply 13

SeriouslySmart

Original post by FuLLuPMepOrtION

Everyone here is talking a fair bit of rubbish.
While it may be true that the UK and a few other countries are winding down their civil nuclear energy programs countries like France, Ukraine, Russia and even the USA are boosting the development of this sector.

Considering 70% of electrical energy in France is from nuclear power there will definitely be job opportunities there.

Reply 14

ChemistBoy

Original post by SeriouslySmart

Indeed, but those kind of international job opportunities are pretty difficult to get as an inexperienced graduate. Most international opportunities I have seen (I work in the energy sector) are for experienced project engineers.

Considering 70% of electrical energy in France is from nuclear power there will definitely be job opportunities there.

As long as you speak French fluently and aren't in competition with a French national for the job in question.

Reply 15

uberteknik

We won't wind down our civil nuclear programme. That is a fallacy.

The reactors which are being shut down now, have been planned for a very long time. That capacity must be replaced and it will be nuclear.

There are also the fusion programmes: ITER is the next generation following on from JET and following on from that will be full scale production.

Then there is Aldermaston and weapons research using computer modelling to simulate nuclear reactions.

Nuclear will be well in demand. If it falls slat, then your science, engineering and maths skills and abilities will lead you on to many other careers.

Don't listen to those who say you need to speak French. Rubbish. I've worked in Engineering with French, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Swedish for many years and have never needed to speak in any language other than English.

I say go for it!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 16

ChemistBoy

Original post by uberteknik

We won't wind down our civil nuclear programme. That is a fallacy.

In the short to medium term the fact is that we are as there are no new build projects and we are closing existing assets. I'm sure you are aware that putting up a new nuke is a pretty long process and in order to ensure that there isn't a dip in nuclear capacity in the UK we should have started building them years ago.

The reactors which are being shut down now, have been planned for a very long time. That capacity must be replaced and it will be nuclear.

But who will pay for it? It's pretty clear that the market can't sustain the levels of investment required and it is also quite clear that the government find the idea of subsidies politically unpalatable in the current economic situation. However, there are opportunities in decommissioning engineering.

There are also the fusion programmes: ITER is the next generation following on from JET and following on from that will be full scale production.

Long way off, certainly not going to play into the next stage of our energy mix.

Then there is Aldermaston and weapons research using computer modelling to simulate nuclear reactions.

I agree defense is still an option (Rolls-Royce produce defense nuclear reactors, for example) however that isn't civil nuclear, which is what we were discussing.

Nuclear will be well in demand. If it falls slat, then your science, engineering and maths skills and abilities will lead you on to many other careers.

Agree on the second part, but that isn't a reason to choose nuclear over other engineering disciplines.

Don't listen to those who say you need to speak French. Rubbish. I've worked in Engineering with French, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Swedish for many years and have never needed to speak in any language other than English.

I also work in an international engineering environment and also with in the utility/energy sector and would generally agree with you, but the French Civil Nuclear programme (read EdF/French Government) is not the same. It's pretty well known in the industry that getting into the French nuclear area as a non-national non-French speaker is very difficult, certainly, my colleagues at British Energy have found very few opportunities available to them in France even after the EdF takeover a few years ago. At higher levels it is certainly possible, but you are really talking about management rather than engineering.

Reply 17

vaseand

A career in Nuclear Engineering is certainly a smart choice in my opinion as there is a large demand for people in the industry with the right skill sets.

The people currently employed in the sector are heading towards the end of their career due to winding down of the industry in the nineties leaving a skills gap so companies are crying out for people to get in and pick up these skills before they are lost.

The civil nuclear programme will almost certainly go ahead, we are way too far down the line in terms of investment by edf, the government and supply chain companies. The stuff in the media is just political wrangling.

On top of that there is nuclear submarines (rolls-royce), nuclear weapons, a huge decommissioning industry at sellafield etc. These aren't industries that are going away.

Original post by ChemistBoy

Edf certainly encourage graduates to try and get out there. In fact there is a graduate scheme for british graduates to go work for edf in france (http://www.thebigchoice.com/Jobs/EDF_Group/30002993.html)

Reply 18

peter12345

This guy does Nuclear Engineering and seems to be doing well

Reply 19

ChemistBoy

Original post by vaseand

Yes, but without active civil projects it is difficult to see how the sector can sustain this. Also, the fact that there is now an availability of experienced German engineering capability due to the closure of their nuclear plants means it is even tougher for inexperienced graduates.

The civil nuclear programme will almost certainly go ahead, we are way too far down the line in terms of investment by edf, the government and supply chain companies. The stuff in the media is just political wrangling.

I think that is an incredibly optimistic reading of the situation. We have already seen two major players pull out of nuclear in the UK and there hasn't been any movement since that time.

On top of that there is nuclear submarines (rolls-royce), nuclear weapons, a huge decommissioning industry at sellafield etc. These aren't industries that are going away.

But they aren't recruiting heavily or growing much either.

How do the numbers of grad places on offer in that scheme compare against the total engineering resource in the nuclear industry in France? Drop in the ocean I suspect.