Kairos Power and seven partners sign MOU to launch NuCAMP nuclear workforce development program in Oak Ridge

Kairos Power just signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2026 with seven regional organizations to launch NuCAMP—the Nuclear Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Precast—in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The idea is straightforward: get local workers ready for careers in nuclear energy before the company’s high-temperature, fluoride salt–cooled reactor facilities are up and running in the area.

Seven organizations join Kairos Power to form NuCAMP

Eight signatories total put their names on the MOU. Alongside Kairos Power, the partners include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Barnard Construction, Roane State Community College, Chattanooga State Community College, and Oak Ridge Schools.

That’s a wide coalition. Federal research institutions, a flagship state university, two community colleges, a K–12 school system, a construction firm, and a manufacturing innovation hub—all aligned around one shared goal. The agreement ties directly to Kairos Power’s reactor development work already underway in Oak Ridge, and as those facilities move from planning into construction and eventually operation, the need for trained workers only grows more pressing. NuCAMP is the formal structure built to meet it.

Community colleges are often the most accessible entry point for workers looking to change careers or earn technical credentials without a four-year commitment.

Why NuCAMP was created: Growing demand for nuclear-trained workers

Nuclear facilities don’t run on general labor. They need workers with specialized skills—advanced manufacturing, precision construction, nuclear operations, safety compliance—that standard workforce pipelines rarely produce at scale.

Building a next-generation reactor isn’t like putting up a conventional power plant. The technology differs, the regulatory environment is stricter, and the required skill sets are far more specific. Local workforce pipelines weren’t designed to supply the volume or type of workers these facilities will need, and that gap isn’t unusual—it’s a recurring problem whenever advanced energy infrastructure moves faster than the training systems around it.

The MOU formalizes a coordinated, multi-institution response. Rather than each organization developing programs independently, NuCAMP creates a shared framework aimed at closing the skills gap before operations begin, not scrambling to fill positions after the fact.

What NuCAMP is expected to deliver for the region

NuCAMP’s core purpose is to build structured pathways into nuclear manufacturing and operations careers—clear entry points, credential frameworks, and progression routes that workers can actually use.

The inclusion of Roane State and Chattanooga State matters here. Community colleges are often the most accessible entry point for workers looking to change careers or earn technical credentials without a four-year commitment. Their participation signals that NuCAMP is designed to reach people across a range of backgrounds and education levels, not just those already working in the nuclear sector.

Oak Ridge Schools’ involvement takes that logic further still. Bringing a K–12 system into a nuclear workforce initiative is a longer-term play—building awareness and foundational preparation among students who are years away from employment, giving them enough exposure that nuclear careers become a realistic option they’ve actually considered. Whether NuCAMP delivers at the scale needed remains an open question, but the architecture is intentionally broad, running from middle school through community college and university into active employment at nuclear facilities.

Background: Kairos Power’s reactor program and the Oak Ridge context

Kairos Power is developing a high-temperature, fluoride salt–cooled reactor—meaningfully different from the light-water reactors that make up most of the existing U.S. nuclear fleet. Fluoride salt cooling operates at higher temperatures and relies on different materials and engineering approaches, which is a large part of why the workforce requirements are so specialized.

Oak Ridge isn’t a random choice. The city has been a center of nuclear research since the Manhattan Project, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory remains one of the most important nuclear research institutions in the country. That existing knowledge base makes the region a logical home for next-generation reactor development.

IACMI and Barnard Construction point to another layer of the workforce picture. Advanced manufacturing and construction trades are central to building nuclear infrastructure, not just operating it. IACMI’s composites manufacturing focus and Barnard’s construction expertise suggest NuCAMP is thinking about the full lifecycle of facility development—from breaking ground to running the plant. This also reflects a broader pattern taking shape across the nuclear industry: developers working on advanced reactor designs are increasingly forming regional workforce coalitions well ahead of facility completion, because waiting until the doors open to start training workers is, by most accounts, too late.

A single MOU focused on nuclear workforce development

NuCAMP brings together eight organizations—Kairos Power, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, IACMI, Barnard Construction, Roane State Community College, Chattanooga State Community College, and Oak Ridge Schools—under a single MOU focused on nuclear workforce development in the Oak Ridge region.

The initiative is directly tied to Kairos Power’s fluoride salt–cooled reactor facilities currently under development. Its structure spans K–12 education through university and community college training, with the goal of building a regional pipeline of workers ready for nuclear manufacturing and operations careers—before those facilities come online.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.