Global Experts Address Workforce Shortages in Environmental Remediation

One of the most pressing challenges facing the environmental remediation field is the recruitment and retention of skilled professionals. 

“With approximately 44% of our workforce eligible for retirement by 2030, steady hiring remains one of our biggest challenges,” said Genia McKinley from the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP). “In some critical areas like nuclear engineering, about 56% of the workforce is eligible to retire. That’s a huge lift for us as we continue to make great progress toward completing our mission.”

International experts gathered virtually in 2024 to address environmental remediation workforce issues and opportunities. The seminar, hosted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex) and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Network of Environmental Management and Remediation (ENVIRONET), focused on strategies to develop a workforce equipped to meet the complex demands of environmental cleanup worldwide. 

Complex projects require multidisciplinary approach

Moderated by Horst Monken-Fernandes from IAEA ENVIRONET and Karen P. Smith, RemPlex Deputy Director, the discussion featured leaders from across government and academia. Speakers included Evangelina Galvan Shreeve, Chief Inclusion Officer at PNNL; Genia McKinley, Program Manager at the U.S. DOE’s Office of Environmental Management; Maria Naydenova, Project Manager for the IAEA’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme; Veronica Dickerson from the U.S. Department of the Interior; David Becker, Geologist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Adjunct Professor at University of Nebraska-Omaha; and Maria de Lurdes Dinis, Professor at the University of Porto and lead of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters in Nuclear Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation (MINDER). 

Together, the panelists painted a clear picture of the workforce gap impacting the environmental remediation sector, while offering solutions to ensure future growth.

The discussion underscored the pressing need for a robust and diverse workforce to tackle the increasing demands of environmental remediation projects. 

The speakers emphasized that a comprehensive approach is needed to address these workforce challenges. For example, the environmental remediation field demands multidisciplinary expertise across various domains, including engineering, health risk management, project management, and stakeholder engagement. The growing complexity of remediation projects underscores the need for diverse teams capable of integrating these disciplines. 

Despite ongoing efforts by government and industry, the sector continues to face global challenges in attracting and retaining skilled workers, especially as many new graduates remain unaware of the wide-ranging career opportunities available in environmental remediation.

Generating interest with internships

One of the key challenges discussed was the need for better recruitment strategies and early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers.

“This year at PNNL we provided internship experiences to over 1,700 students,” said Evangelina Galvan Shreeve, who also serves as Director of STEM Education and Workforce Development at PNNL. “Our primary focus is providing those experiences to students through STEM outreach and workforce development, creating awareness about STEM careers, and addressing workforce needs in technical areas like remediation.”

McKinley introduced the EM MSIPP as a vital resource for building a diverse and well-trained workforce. The program offers a range of opportunities from competitive research grants to postdoctoral fellowships and hands-on internships for students at Minority Serving Institutions. 

"Our programs give these students direct hands-on experience toward our EM mission while supporting their scholastic goals," said McKinley. "We’re able to support their needs as well."

Through its seven components, the EM MSIPP supports undergraduates and postdoctoral researchers, offering a clear path to employment in the field of environmental remediation. In 2023, the program granted 32 research awards and saw 12 fellows hired, illustrating the importance of fostering connections between students and real-world projects.

IAEA’s Horst Monken-Fernandes underscored the need for specialized training and international cooperation to develop a workforce capable of managing contaminated sites and hazardous materials around the world.

“Environmental remediation workforce is crucial for addressing sites affected by past activities and ensuring compliance with modern regulations,” said Monken-Fernandes. 

Additionally, the IAEA’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme and Lise Meitner Programme, represented by Maria Naydenova, aim to address this global gap by providing scholarships, internships, and professional-development workshops for women pursuing careers in nuclear-related fields.

The RemPlex-IAEA seminar also showcased how international collaboration and knowledge sharing are key to addressing workforce challenges. Programs like the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Nuclear Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation (MINDER) connect universities and research institutions worldwide to train the next generation of professionals in decommissioning and remediation.

The seminar concluded with a call to action for governments, universities, and industry leaders to invest in workforce development programs.

McKinley highlighted the importance of programs like the EM MSIPP. “Our EM organization is committed to improving workforce management through the development of forward-looking workforce plans,” she said, “including comprehensive succession planning for critical roles, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions throughout the organization.”

The seminar laid the groundwork for continued collaboration and innovation in workforce development, helping to ensure the future success of environmental remediation efforts worldwide. Focusing on early career recruitment, fostering university partnerships, and promoting global collaboration, the panelists provided a clear roadmap to build a resilient, diverse workforce ready to tackle the challenges of environmental remediation.

The video recording and presentations from the seminar are available on the RemPlex website. Learn more here about DOE's EM MSIPP program. Find details here about PNNL’s environmental management internships.