On February 10, 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated the need for a "renaissance of the nuclear industry". The 3NC project - Normandie Nucléaire, Nouvelles Compétences, brings together 37 industrial, institutional and educational partners to meet the challenges of tomorrow, and create the nuclear power of tomorrow!
With over 17,600 people working in this sector according to the EDEC Nucléaire, Normandy is and will remain one of the very top regions for the French nuclear industry.
In fact, it is at the forefront of major upcoming investments in this field:
- Construction of two new EPR2s,
- Dismantling of a nuclear fuel processing facility,
- Creation of waste cycle infrastructures,
- Numerous major refurbishment operations (major work on existing power plants).
These major projects will greatly increase recruitment and training needs in the region.
Under the impetus of the Region, players in secondary, higher and university education, as well as economic players and institutions, have therefore decided to join forces through the "Normandie Nucléaire, Nouvelles Compétences" (3NC) project in the search for joint solutions.
The challenge is to strengthen training capacities and enrich programs with specific nuclear content. The aim is also to instill an appetite for nuclear projects in young people and those undergoing retraining.
Normandy will be the site of experimentation, with the ambition of subsequently spreading to other French regions.
The 3NC project's training courses will be aimed at young people in initial training, from CAP to Bac+8.People far from training or employment will also be offered training paths to join the public works or energy professions.
Actions are also planned for the general public, secondary school students, teachers and families to spread scientific and technical culture and promote knowledge of nuclear professions.
Thanks to close collaboration between the 36 industrial, institutional and training partners, the 3NC program will strengthen the training offer throughout Normandy, with particular attention paid to the feminization of professions and territorial equity in access to training.
The first 3NC axes are dedicated to strengthening the appetite for science and decarbonated energies. Based on the latest studies, the proposed schemes will be varied and innovative (shows, competitions...).
Programs called Mix'Energétique, Mix & Mix or Mix Immersif will be deployed as close as possible to the target audiences, to promote the professions and encourage recruitment to the 3NC training paths.The following axes are defined around the development of training, with the creation of new technical platforms, new schools or new options. They cover the fields of public works, mechanical and electrical engineering, testing and inspection, logistics and nuclear engineering, among others.
The project's experts and teachers, working in a collaborative approach, will offer students attractive pedagogies and courses tailored to the needs of the sector.
By 2030, 5,400 young people and people undergoing retraining will graduate from 3NC classes per year, mainly in apprenticeships.
With 3,000 trainees from CAP to Bac+2, the 3NC programs will cover the needs of major nuclear sites in Normandy, in sectors such as plant maintenance, public works and civil engineering, or the production of mechanical assemblies. The desire for joint action across Normandy will also be reflected in the higher education sector:
- Opening of new training courses,
- Massification
- Specialization of existing training courses.
Thus, spread over some forty diplomas and certifications, 2,400 young people will be trained per year in 3NC programs. Normandy's universities and engineering schools will be up to the nuclear challenge.
Throughout their studies, students will have access to technical platforms dedicated to nuclear specializations. While most of the 3NC classes are expected to take place in Normandy, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is also involved in the project.
All the benefits of the project will be shared between the partners, within Normandy and then more widely throughout France.