An evaluation of focused outreach and recruiting efforts in a nuclear-related workforce development program

Abstract

The main objective of this nuclear-related workforce development (NWD) program is to use the scholarships provided by the federal funding agency ($5,000 per semester) in conjunction with Western Carolina University's engineering project-based learning sequence to recruit and retain students who will sustain our existing program for serving nuclear-related industry and academia. Our secondary objective is to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of students seeking these engineering degrees. The program seeks to recruit engineering students specializing in electric power, mechanical, and electrical disciplines, jointly called EPME. A program requirement is that these students pursue an educational emphasis in nuclear power. This paper summarizes and evaluates the outreach and recruiting efforts for a focused group of students who meet or exceed the selection criteria set forth by the funding agency. The workforce development program was designed to increase awareness of nuclear power related degrees and employment opportunities in those fields through its recruitment and advertisement campaign. Our recruitment efforts are focused on Western Carolina University's (WCU) junior and senior students who demonstrate commitment to a career supporting the nuclear industry in the near term. These students have already shown promise in scholarship and academic success. Sophomore students are also considered in case the applicant pool from junior and senior students is not satisfactory both quantitatively and qualitatively. WCU School of Engineering + Technology's enrollment rate has increased by about 15% over the last three years. This enrollment trend is predicted to grow due to the regional demands of industry and the onset of a state-wide initiative of lower tuition rates for WCU students. With this increase of enrollment, the EPME programs will have significant numbers of students who qualify for this scholarship program. The educational pathways for these students to obtain junior and/or senior status is varied. Because of our strong regional partnerships, we are able to recruit students from many different avenues. In addition to in-house students, examples of particular importance are the State Community College system, the State Department of Public Instruction through traditional high schools and Early Colleges, and the State Workforce Development Boards. A focused outreach and recruiting effort was administered to target and attract students interested in becoming a part of the nuclear related workforce in U.S. First, an email was composed and sent to existing students in the university who meet or exceed the specific criteria (such as academic level and GPA set forth by the funding agency). The effort also included community college visits, participation in university open house events, and internet posting through a website. A total of nine applications were eventually received by the deadline in Fall 2018 semester. As a result of the relatively unsatisfactory applicant pool, a second round of outreach and recruiting efforts primarily focusing on existing students was conducted. This effort yielded another two applications by the deadline in Spring 2019 semester. Evaluation of the recruitment efforts was analyzed through the data from a recruitment survey that is included in this paper and discussed in detail. The group size for students who completed the surveys included not only scholarship recipients but also other students who were recruited to the engineering programs at WCU.