Kaleva newspaper reports that University of Oulu is planning to start nuclear power training starting from 2012. The supplementary training program is for engineering and physics graduates and the trainees are to be selected next autumn. The training would last 1,5 years and at least 25 students would participate.

Lauri Lajunen, Rector of University of Oulu, says that details, such as content and schedule, are to be specified by a working group that has just been established. The plans are expected to be finalized around March 2011.

According to Mr Lajunen, this training is needed because Fennovoima is constructing its nuclear power plant to Northern Finland. The newspaper points out that it can be difficult to attract top experts to the north from Southern Finland.

Mr Lajunen says that the University has been in talks with Oulu Chamber of Commerce, Council of Oulu Region and Fennovoima about how to get sufficiently qualified staff. According to Mr Lajunen this is an opportunity for University of Oulu.

The training would serve both the construction of the nuclear power plant as well as its operation. The intention is to get the training partly from Lappeenranta University of Technology and Aalto University. In these universities there are training programs for nuclear technology.

Mr Lajunen states that the training will be structured the same way mining engineering training in University of Oulu: it starts as studies aiming at specialization and within a certain time is to be changed into normal education of the university.

>> Read about Fennovoima's schedule.