The Westinghouse University

With the large influx of new employees, a recommendation was made to develop a strategic learning architecture that would better prepare these employees for the challenges that lie ahead. The strategic training architecture was called Westinghouse University. It was launched in the spring of 2010 and supports all employees, including current and future Westinghouse leaders, and select customers, partners and suppliers.  It currently:

• Defines the training strategy for the enterprise

• Leverages common training services across product lines

• Standardizes training processes

• Improves the effectiveness of enterprise-wide training

• Reduces the cost to revenue ratio

• Improves service levels to stakeholders

As Westinghouse University attempts to integrate training activities business wide from across our business and locations around the world, it is important to identify a way to organize, expand and deliver this content. Similar to an academic university, Westinghouse University has organized the training and development content into separate "colleges." Each college focuses on a specific content area (e.g., project management) to provide access to all related courses and development activities.  This approach works to break down existing departmental boundaries, and allows existing programs to be leveraged to avoid expensive duplication of training and development across our business. 

Westinghouse University consists of four major components: administration, colleges, operations, and training councils. Each component plays an important role in keeping the university closely aligned with the business. The University’s administration is composed of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director and staff as well as the Learning Office.  The members of the Westinghouse University Board of Directors are appointed by the Westinghouse Executive Staff. The Board is multi-disciplinary and represents a cross-section of the global company including two permanent members and eight rotating members. The board is chaired by the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. 

Westinghouse University is divided into seven colleges (Behavioral, Business, Leadership, Manufacturing, Nuclear, Project Management and Technical,). Each college is led by a “Dean” and a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the product lines and geographic regions.

In addition, a learning consultant from the university supports each college and provides expertise in performance consulting and learning program development. Together this team identifies all the existing courses to be included in the online global course catalog, provides oversight for identification of course content requirements, identifies and prioritizes knowledge gaps and coordinates future course development within their area of focus. 

As part of the Westinghouse University launch, a new infrastructure was created that includes an Operations Team that was assembled from resources across the business. The Westinghouse University Operations Team, along with local training resources, provides learning and development support services that enable high quality program design and delivery in a timely and cost effective manner to support both individual employee needs and the business requirements.  In addition, this team supports the administration of training related activities such as course catalogs, schedules and registration through the documentation of completed training events.

Customer Training

Our commercial Westinghouse Training and Operational Services can help customers achieve their goal of having a well-trained staff, which is essential for the safe and effective operation of a power plant. By using a blended student-centered learning system, which Westinghouse calls NucLearning, each student is an active participant in the learning process.

Westinghouse Training and Operational Services offers the following trainings:

• Introductory Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Courses

• Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) Equivalency Certification Program

• Reactor Engineering Programs

• Refueling Programs

• Refueling Tool Maintenance Programs

• Safety and Accident Management Programs

• Analogue Instrumentation and Control System Courses

• Digital Instrumentation and Control System Courses

• Distributed Process System Courses

• Boiling Water Reactor Instrumentation and Control Courses

• New Plant Training (AP 1000)

Westinghouse's programs use a combination of multimedia presentation tools, online learning, hands-on training equipment, simulation, training mock-ups, and challenging learning activities to place the student at the center of the learning process. The Westinghouse Training and Operational Services staff includes adult educators, certified Senior Reactor Operator Instructors, expert I&C trainers, engineers, and training support specialists. The Westinghouse instructors use the latest student-centered learning and online education methods. Courses are delivered at the customer's site, at the Westinghouse training facilities or online.

European Trainee Program

At Westinghouse we are proud to give our employees the opportunity to work and act globally. The European Trainee Program, for example, gives high potential graduates a chance to participate in different projects and work with the latest technologies around the world. The program started as a Swedish initiative but quickly turned out to be a very successful program throughout Europe. 

The 18-month Westinghouse European Trainee Program is a unique way to become acquainted with our global company.  The program provides participants with broad knowledge of the business of Westinghouse and supports this process with theoretical and practical training. After 12 months spent in the country of hire, participants begin a six-month assignment in one of our locations abroad where internal education programs are alternated with ever increasing responsibilities within various sectors of the business.

In addition, all European Westinghouse locations have their own country specific learning and development initiatives. In France for example, Westinghouse developed a work/study partnership called “Apprentissage” with the local nuclear field professional school “IRUP”. Young professionals gain practical training and experience with Westinghouse France during paid professional internships that can last from one to three years.  Internship experience reflects the operational field including nuclear industry, manufacturing and technical areas and is closely followed by an experienced tutor in their professional progression. In conjunction with the part-time work experience and part-time learning programs, interns undertake a graduating qualification leading either to Bachelor’s Degree of “Nuclear technician” or Master’s Degree of Nuclear Engineer. Internships are available in all Westinghouse European locations.  Westinghouse is pleased to be able to hire on a permanent contract most candidates who have completed the program successfully.  The wide variety of opportunities that  our interns experience during their internship helps prepare them for the career path of their choice.

In the United Kingdom, Westinghouse and its recently acquired business partner Springfields Fuels Ltd, are recognized as leaders in training and development. Amongst its own graduate development program, engineering apprentice, as well as business administration apprentice schemes, Springfields Fuels offers engineering apprentice training for outside organizations. Through these development initiatives, employees gain National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and thereby obtain a nationally recognized qualification. In addition, Westinghouse supports its employees in gaining accreditation with relevant professional associations for their field of expertise, as well as in obtaining formal business-related qualifications, degrees, MBAs, etc.

For more information about Westinghouse Electric Company and current employment opportunities, please visit http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/ Information on customer training can be found at http://www.training.westinghousenuclear.com/.

With 15,000 employees worldwide, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY: 6502), is the world's pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world.   In 1957, Westinghouse supplied the world's first PWR in the Western Pennsylvania town of Shippingport.  Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States and 40 percent worldwide.

Contact:

Christof Paulischta, Manager EMEA, Learning & Development.