Bechtel and North America’s Building Trades Unions have signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening apprenticeship programs and preparing skilled workers for the next generation of nuclear power construction projects in the United States.
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The memorandum of understanding, announced May 5, focuses on modernizing training programs to support the construction of large-scale nuclear reactors and small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs. The agreement comes as the U.S. nuclear sector continues to gain momentum amid growing energy demands, carbon reduction goals and increased investment in advanced energy infrastructure.
Under the agreement, Bechtel and NABTU will collaborate to identify specialized construction skills required for nuclear projects and align apprenticeship training with evolving industry needs. The organizations also plan to update union training center curricula and expand recruitment efforts to attract more workers into high-skill nuclear construction careers.
“Delivering nuclear power plants requires exceptional craft expertise and a deep commitment to safety and quality,” said Brendan Bechtel. “Bechtel’s long-standing partnership with NABTU has helped build some of the most complex energy infrastructure in the United States, including Vogtle Units 3 and 4, the first new nuclear reactors built in the country in more than three decades.”
The partnership is designed to support the growing demand for highly trained craft professionals as utilities and developers move forward with advanced nuclear projects nationwide.
Bechtel and NABTU said apprenticeship programs will play a key role in building a workforce capable of handling the technical requirements, safety standards and precision needed for modern reactor construction.
The agreement outlines several priorities, including expanding apprenticeship pathways, modernizing training for advanced nuclear technologies and coordinating recruitment through union networks.
“Building the next generation of nuclear projects requires the highest levels of skill, precision, and safety, and that starts with NABTU’s world-class apprenticeship training and strong contractor partners like Bechtel,” said Sean McGarvey.
McGarvey added that the agreement will help create a “continuous pipeline of highly skilled, job-ready craft professionals to build nuclear power’s next fleet of reactors.”
Industry leaders say workforce readiness remains one of the biggest challenges facing the expansion of nuclear infrastructure in the U.S., especially as demand increases for clean and reliable power sources capable of supporting energy-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
The new workforce initiative builds on a long-standing relationship between Bechtel and union construction trades. The two organizations previously worked together on the expansion of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, which included the first newly built nuclear reactors in the United States in more than 30 years.
Bechtel is also currently involved in the Natrium Demonstration Project, an advanced nuclear project being developed with TerraPower.
“Today, we’re continuing that work on next-generation technologies like the Natrium Demonstration Project, which represents a new era of nuclear innovation,” Brendan Bechtel said. “This agreement strengthens our collaboration with NABTU and ensures apprenticeship programs continue to develop the number of craft professionals needed to supply this growing market.”
The agreement also reflects broader industry efforts to address long-term labor shortages while improving safety and technical training standards across major infrastructure projects.
For construction firms and project owners, the initiative is expected to provide greater workforce certainty as nuclear construction activity expands over the coming decade.
Originally reported by Ashley Accardo in Bechtel.
