OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – As East Tennessee’s nuclear energy sector continues to expand, Oak Ridge Associated Universities is bringing together lawmakers, industry leaders, trade unions, educators and community partners to focus on one of the region’s biggest challenges: building a workforce pipeline large enough to meet demand.
ORAU’s Pathway to Trades Summit is set for Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ORAU Pollard Center, located at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge.
Laura Hammonds with ORAU said the event is designed to open a broader community conversation about how to recruit, train and prepare skilled workers — especially in the trades — for what she described as a “nuclear renaissance” in the Oak Ridge area…