The Houston Chronicle picked up and published an AP newswire story by Paul Foy titled Western U.S. in midst of uranium boom. It provides an interesting perspective on the cyclical nature of uranium mining.
It is also an article that helps me believe that the coming nuclear age really is on its way. If you are trying to figure out your career direction – it is a good time to take a hard look at all of the skills that the nuclear industry will need. Be careful not to focus on just career paths with the word “nuclear” in them; once the plant designs are complete, for example, I do expect that nuclear engineers will play as big a role as they did in the first nuclear age.
With any luck, there will be far less need for plant redesign and for licensing work. Instead, I think that the main job generators will be places like uranium mines, fuel fabrication facilities, recycling plants, nuclear plants (as opposed to nuclear design firms), and component manufacturing.
If you are a qualified welder I would bet that you will be fending off recruiters in a couple of years.
