Evaluation of education of staffs from the beginings

Perhaps it is not obvious for younger generations that there was Hungarian “nuclear life” before the construction of Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The research reactor of the KFKI (Central Physics Research Centre) began operating in 1959, and in 1971 the Training Reactor of the BME (Budapest University of Technology and Economics) was constructed. Research and education efforts of academic and university institutions were made from the beginning of the seventies, targeting preparation of the construction of a Hungarian nuclear power plant. Selecting its location, its construction and starting up involved serious challenges and large development potential for several companies and institutes. It is difficult to estimate the exact number of professionals involved in direct or indirect connection with the nuclear energy industry in the eighties and nineties. The number is probably above ten thousand.
Construction, starting up and operation of the NPP provided attractive positions for young nuclear professionals. The exiting new technology and the higher than industrial average wages raised Paks NPP among the most prestigious workplaces of Hungary. During its construction more than ten thousand and in the first years of its operation near 4000 people were engaged in the NPP and its yards. In the middle of the eighties plans regarding development of the NPP seemed to be viable, thus further, mainly engineering working potential was attracted to the Paks area.
In parallel with the foundation of the Power Plant, continuous training of the professionals was accomplished. This visionary planning resulted in the beginning of intensive education of nuclear engineers in the framework of an international scholarship programme in the seventies. Education was conducted both at foreign universities, chiefly in Moscow, and on the nuclear and energetic courses of the BME.
Between 1978 and 1989 candidate crew members were trained for operation and maintenance of WWER-440 reactor units at Soviet and German training facilities in Novovoronezh and Rheinsberg. Evaluation of the knowledge they gained abroad was carried out before starting up of the Unit 1, with training and examination including the whole crew. From the beginning, in spite of the continuous local support of Soviet experts, teh entire responsibility for the safe operation was in the hands of the Hungarian crew and management.
In several aspects, as in the case of training, Paks NPP – being the only Hungarian nuclear power plant – had to be autonomous in the long run. Recognizing this situation, the management established the internal training system of the NPP at the beginning of the eighties. As a result, professional recruitment has become independent of external education and training institutions in recent times.
Milestones of the development of the training system:

• 1986. opening the first training centre
• 1988. opening the full scale simulator
• 1997. opening the Maintenance Training Centre.

The development of the training system is harmonized with the requirements of international nuclear regulations and with Hungarian Technical and Adult Education. International requirements are mostly mediated by the International Atomic Energy Agency and by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). The latter is an association of operators of nuclear power plants and its mission is the international spreading of good practice - supporting and coordinating exchange of knowledge. The International Atomic Energy Agency regulates the demands of the nuclear community via standards and recommendations. Moreover, it provides expertise, methodology and (sometimes) financial support for execution of programmes enhancing safety of nuclear power plants through cooperation programmes.

Hungary is considered a good partner of the IAEA. The country gives the substantial support to the Agency with the work of experts and via the international availability of the facilities of Paks NPP. The most important mutual work has involved the Training Model Project, which was accomplished between 1994 and 1998, and which resulted in the adaptation of the most advanced training system (Systemic Approach to Training – SAT) and construction of the unique Maintenance Training Centre. The Agency categorized this work as a Model Project, noting that the project is a model for other countries due to its results and financing construction.

Training activities in Paks NPP can be considered as an internal company training system in close connection with Hungarian Technical and Adult Education. The training organization of the company has a licence to organize examinations for a long time and this was successfully revalidated in 2008. Moreover, the organization has accreditation for Adult Education.

As a result of the visionary and continuous development of the training system, the NPP has advanced training facilities and complete training programmes, and tutoring materials are available for each person in the positions requiring special nuclear knowledge. Twenty training professionals work for the training organization and their activity is supported by a further 30 independent experts as lecturers. Uniquely in Hungarian Technical Education, the training professionals participate in a special education programme in order to complement their technology experience with pedagogy training and skills. They are evaluated with a licence. Another important contributor to the safety of the NPP involves the ability of the management. Individual management training was replaced by an organised programme ("Management Academy“) in 2006.