Framatome revamps nuclear training pipeline

A French nuclear power company with its United States headquarters in Lynchburg is ramping up hiring to meet a growing global need for clean, low-carbon energy.

Framatome North America is recruiting for 200 positions in the U.S, about 125 of which are in Lynchburg, and it anticipates a “significant” number of additional openings in coming years, says CEO Katherine Williams.

Some of those employees will come from the 20-year-old Framatome Nuclear Technology Academy at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, which in May saw a major revamp after realizing its enrollment, which was limited to employees, had dwindled from a high of 25 students at a time to as few as five. The academy, a pathway to an associate degree, produces nuclear technicians who monitor and help maintain nuclear plants.

Nationally, about 600 openings for nuclear technicians are projected annually during the next decade.

Framatome has been in Lynchburg since 1989 and has about 1,320 employees in the location. It designs and provides equipment, services and fuel for nuclear power plants around the world. After noticing a skills gap in its entry level applicants, the company donated $1 million to CVCC to establish the academy in 2004. More than 100 employees have graduated from it, and 70% still work at Framatome, says Williams.

In May, Framatome announced it was donating $400,000 over four years to revamp the academy, adding equipment and condensing classroom instruction into semesters instead of two, five-week sessions annually for four years. (The rest of the time, Framatome’s students work at nuclear plants globally.) Employee pay was also made more competitive for students enrolled in the academy, which is tuition-free. Enrollment has reached a company goal of 30, says Marci Gale, head of CVCC’s mechatronics and electronics faculty.

The academy also is now open to the public; 16 non-Framatome employees have enrolled. Those who don’t work for another company that might cover academy tuition are likely to get an interview with Framatome.

L.A. Wills, 24, worked for a Framatome subcontractor when he learned about the academy. He’s in his third year now and works on steam generators for Framatome. He’ll graduate next year with a degree in applied nuclear mechatronics.

“Personally, it gives you an opportunity to show the company that you’re willing to put in the work to better yourself, so that way you can grow with the company,” Wills says.