Workforce Accelerator for Fusion Energy Technology Development

The fusion energy research and development landscape has seen significant changes in the last several years, with important scientific and technological breakthroughs and a rapid rise of investment in the private sector. The workforce needs of the nascent fusion industry are growing at a rate that academic workforce development programs are not currently able to match. An NSF-supported conference was held in late May 2024 that explored new types of educational and research-based fusion energy training programs that can be developed at institutions spanning from trade schools and community colleges to research intensive universities. The event brought public and private stakeholders together to identify opportunities for partnership in fusion research and education with the goal of meeting the needs for a talented, diverse workforce. The goals of the conference included: (1) identifying technical challenges in fusion energy science and technology to be targeted for workforce expansion, (2) enumerating existing workforce development capabilities and the status of key performers, (3) revealing opportunities for filling the gaps in developing an inclusive and interdisciplinary fusion energy workforce. A key deliverable of the conference is a white paper with a set of recommendations on how to best address the workforce development needs for future fusion energy technologies. This presentation will present the findings of this white paper, and the conference overall.