Predicting Process Area Workforce for Human Resource Development in a
Nuclear Power Plant

Following the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, there were calls to introduce alternative energy sources to mitigate global warming. The increase of alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy in developing countries like Nigeria will not only combat climate change but also provide a sustainable supply of electricity to its teeming populace. Therefore, developing and planning human resources requirements is a key cross-cutting component of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) milestones approach identified to aid the development and sustainable operation of nuclear infrastructure in existing and nuclear newcomer countries. Hence, this study extends the agency’s nuclear power human resources modeling tool to model the process area requirements for newcomer countries’ nuclear power plant (NPP) operation from 2015 to 2045. The results indicate that for total operation and six process areas, support training is the dominant process area (i.e., about 36%) at the end of the modeling period (2045). This bolsters the build–own–operate–transfer contract critical clause of transferring knowledge to the domestic nation. On the other hand, configuration management (approximately 6.37%) is the least considered process area because of the people required to maintain computer systems, servers, and software. Alternatively, when the process area is delineated according to the professional workforce and technical workforce contribution, professionals should contribute 2.67 times the number of technicians in the operations process area in 2045. Such results are expected to provide a holistic perspective of workforce needs during policy and decision-making processes.