Westinghouse and University of South Carolina sign workforce agreement to train nuclear plant operators and engineers for U.S. AP1000 fleet deployment
Westinghouse Electric Company and the University of South Carolina signed a memorandum of understanding on September 29, 2026, to build a multidisciplinary nuclear workforce development program tied to USC’s planned Nuclear Innovation Center. The signing took place at the Third Annual South Carolina Nuclear Summit in Columbia, S.C., with senior officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, USC, and Westinghouse present.
The agreement sets the foundation for what both organizations describe as a first-of-its-kind training initiative — designed to prepare operators, engineers, and construction professionals for large-scale AP1000 reactor deployment across the United States.
Agreement signed at South Carolina Nuclear Summit
The ceremony brought together a notable group. Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy Alex Fitzsimmons represented the federal government, while USC President Michael Amiridis and Westinghouse President of New Plant Delivery Luca Oriani signed for their respective organizations. Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Dean Hossein Haj-Hariri and former Johnson Controls Chairman and CEO Alex Molinaroli were also in attendance.
Both Westinghouse and USC have framed it as a job-creation initiative, with Oriani pointing to high-paying employment and broader economic growth as core outcomes.
The program will be anchored at USC’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, inside its planned Nuclear Innovation Center. That facility is still in the planning phase, but the MOU locks in the intent to build it out as a national hub for nuclear workforce training.
Why the partnership was formed
The U.S. is moving toward large-scale fleet deployment of AP1000 reactors — and that kind of expansion demands operators, engineers, construction crews, and maintenance professionals at a scale the current talent pipeline simply isn’t built to handle.
Federal policy has added urgency. Executive orders under the Trump administration have pushed hard for expanding domestic nuclear energy production, creating both opportunity and real pressure to staff up fast.
South Carolina makes sense as the anchor for this effort. The state already has a deep nuclear industry base, and both Westinghouse and USC see it as well-positioned to serve not just regional needs but the entire national fleet. The gap between workforce supply and planned construction demand is what ultimately drove the agreement.
Planned training facilities and programs
The partnership will explore building a nuclear training center covering every workforce discipline needed for large-scale plant deployment. The focus is on hands-on, practical preparation rather than classroom instruction alone.
One of the centerpiece proposals is a set of state-of-the-art digital AP1000 simulators — designed to replicate actual control room conditions and give operators and university students realistic training in a simulated environment. Alongside those, the plan calls for hands-on construction labs equipped with augmented and virtual reality, AI-enabled tools, wearables, and digital work packages to support craft, maintenance, and construction training.
The academic side includes a multidisciplinary certificate program open to mechanical, electrical, industrial, and civil engineering students pursuing nuclear careers — broadening the pipeline well beyond traditional nuclear engineering programs.
Expected consequences for jobs and the nuclear sector
The partnership is explicitly designed to generate economic benefits across South Carolina. Both Westinghouse and USC have framed it as a job-creation initiative, with Oriani pointing to high-paying employment and broader economic growth as core outcomes.
The scope goes well beyond the state, though. Workers trained here would be deployable wherever AP1000 construction is underway across the country — the program is built to support a national fleet, not just regional development.
The Palmetto Nuclear Coalition offered a direct endorsement. Its President and CEO, Ethel Bunch, described the partnership as exactly the kind of collaboration needed to connect industry, higher education, and workforce development into a functioning national capability. USC’s Nuclear Innovation Center is designed with that broader mission in mind — building talent pipelines, developing intellectual property, and strengthening supply chain capacity to create an innovation ecosystem, not just a training facility.
Westinghouse’s existing footprint in South Carolina
Westinghouse isn’t new to South Carolina. The company has operated in the state for more than five decades, giving it deep roots in the local nuclear industry.
Today, Westinghouse employs more than 2,200 people across South Carolina. Its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility ranks among the largest nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities of its kind anywhere. The company also runs operations in new plant deployment, engineering, information technology, and outage and maintenance services from multiple locations in the state. The AP1000 itself is described by Westinghouse as the only proven Generation III+ reactor technology currently available, rated at 1,150 megawatts — enough to power approximately 750,000 U.S. homes.
What the agreement means going forward
The MOU between Westinghouse Nuclear and USC formalizes a shared commitment to address one of nuclear energy’s most pressing practical challenges: building a workforce fast enough to match the pace of planned construction.
What the agreement covers is substantial — AP1000 simulators, hands-on construction labs, a multidisciplinary certificate program for engineering students, and a broader ecosystem built around USC’s planned Nuclear Innovation Center. Federal officials have signaled support, and the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition has positioned the collaboration as a model for the country.
The facilities are still in development, and the MOU is a starting point rather than a finished plan. But with Westinghouse’s five-decade presence in South Carolina and USC’s institutional reach, the partnership has a concrete foundation to build from.
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.
