Slovakia wants to become a leader in nuclear energy education within the European Union. The Ministry of Education, together with universities, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and representatives of the energy and industrial sectors, has prepared an action plan to strengthen education, research and workforce training in the nuclear field.
According to Education Minister Tomáš Drucker(HLAS-SD), Slovakia already ranks among EU leaders in nuclear power production, but like many other countries, it faces a serious shortage of skilled professionals.
Drucker said the action plan identifies four key areas addressing the lack of specialists, from secondary schools through to universities. He stressed that while universities are the final stage, preparation must begin much earlier.
The initiative is also supported by Marta Žiaková, Chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority in Slovakia. According to her the plan should attract more students to both universities and secondary schools. She also highlighted the importance of dual education and noted that graduates in this field are in strong demand across various sectors.
In addition to increasing the number of university graduates in technical disciplines and developing centres of excellence, the plan also addresses staffing needs in industry, environmental policy and selected healthcare professions, and includes improvements to infrastructure.
Support has also come from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, with its President Martin Venhartwelcoming the inclusion of science in the plan, saying research plays a key role in educating future experts. The Education Ministry plans to submit the document to the government by the end of January.
Source: STVR, TASR
