ENETRAP - European Network on Education and Training in RAdiological Protection
Introduction and objectives
Occupational, public and environmental radiation protection is a major challenge in the industrial applications of ionising radiation, both nuclear and non-nuclear, as well as in other areas such as the medical and research area. As is the case with all nuclear expertise, there is a trend of a decreasing number of experts in radiation protection due to various reasons. Therefore, maintaining a high level of competencies in this field is crucial for the future application of ionising radiation and to ensure the protection of workers, the public and the environment. A sustainable Education and Training (E&T) infrastructure for Radiation Protection is an essential component to combat the decline in expertise and to ensure the continuation of the high level of radiation protection knowledge in the future.
Such infrastructure has to be built in such a way that both the initial training (hereafter referred to as “Education”) and the unceasing maintenance of the level of competencies (hereafter referred to as “Training”) are available. Education is mainly provided by the universities leading to the legal recognition of the diplomas they deliver. On the other side, Training is usually the task of “training providers” such as Research Centres, Competent Authorities, and so on…
In particular, a recent study has shown that a wide variety of national approaches for E&T of the qualified expert, as required in the European Basic Safety Standards, exist in the EU Member States, the New Member States and the Candidate States. The development of a common European radiation protection and safety culture and, based on that, the mutual recognition for radiation protection courses and the acquired competencies of radiation protection experts becomes a real need. The harmonisation of E&T is a good starting point. Moreover, harmonisation will favour the mobility of workers and students throughout the European countries.
The main objectives of this project are:
- to better integrate existing education and training activities in the radiation protection infrastructure of the European countries in order to combat the decline in both student numbers and teaching institutions;
- to develop more harmonised approaches for education and training in radiation protection in Europe and their implementation;
- to better integrate the national resources and capacities for education and training ;
- to provide the necessary competence and expertise for the continued safe use of radiation in industry, medicine and research.
These objectives will be reached by the establishment of a European E&T network in radiation protection which will:
- assess training needs and capabilities;
- identify the potential users and their future involvement in order to insure the sustainability of the network;
- launch a consortium of universities with the aim of create an European Master in Radiation Protection;
- review the scientific contents of E&T activities;
- explore the effectiveness of on-the-job training and identify options for additional programmes;
- propose recommendations for the recognition of courses and competencies of radiation protection experts;
- make recommendations for revising the current European Radiation Protection Course (ERPC) to include a system for credit points and modern educational tools, such as distance learning;
Two characteristics of this project need to be stressed on:
- the wish for promoting a “bottom-up” approach instead of the more usual “top-down”;
- the decision for developing a modular structure as well for the Education as for the Training programmes
The main deliverables of the ENETRAP project are:
- the proposal for the establishment of a universities consortium;
- the delivery of a pilot session for the training in radiation protection;
- the recommendations to the EUTERP platform regarding the recognition of this training, especially for the qualified experts
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1
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SCK CEN
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Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
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Belgium
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2
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CEA-INSTN
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Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique – Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires
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France
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3
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FZK-FTU
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Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
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Germany
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4
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BfS
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Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz)
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Germany
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5
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ENEA
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Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment
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Italy
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6
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NRG
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Nuclear Research & consultancy Group
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The Netherlands
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7
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CIEMAT
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Spanish Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology
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Spain
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8
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HPA-RPD
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Health Protection Agency
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United Kingdom
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9
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UJF
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Université Joseph Fourier
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France
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10
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NHC
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North Highland College
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Scotland
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WP1 Implementation and co-ordination of ENETRAP
WP1 Implementation and co-ordination of ENETRAP
Objectives:
Description of work:
- organisation of a kick-off meeting for representatives of the EU Member states with the aim to decide for the contact persons, the procedure for running the network;
- implementation of one or two communication’s tools like website aiming to favorise exchanges on tools, courses;
- reporting on the meetings and publishing of the deliverables as described hereunder to initiate the consortium of the Erasmus Universities Consortium
WP2 Assessment of training needs and capabilities within the EU Member, the New Member States and the Candidate States
WP2 Assessment of training needs and capabilities within the EU Member, the New Member States and the Candidate States
Objectives:
- to get quantitative figures of RPEs working in each EU member, accessing and candidate state;
- to examine the actual capabilities concerning the E&T in RP and the fields they are covering;
- to define more precisely the context of the needs and the capacities concerning RP training in the future as well as the potential users.
Description of work:
- to prepare and to send a questionnaire for the collection of quantitative data;
- to analyse the answers;
- to elaborate the evolution for the next years;
- to identify priority areas for RP training in the future.
The ENETRAP questionnaire represents the first phase of the ENETRAP project, the objective of this questionnaire being to elicit detailed information which will enable us to: 1. assess the actual training needs in the EU Member States and Candidate States; 2. understand the various regulatory aspects and consequently propose minimum requirements for mutual recognition of RPEs and RPOs; 3. collate details of the various E&T activities available in the EU Member and Candidate States, and 4. review the content, structure and methods of these E&T activities.
WP3 Recognition of competencies and diplomas
WP3 Recognition of competencies and diplomas
Objectives:
- to analyse the various levels and varieties of expert qualifications as published in the national legislation of the various countries;
- to compare the conditions for the recognition of the RPEs in each country;
- to compare the complementary conditions dealing with the recognition of the training provided by other countries that the one where the demand for agreement is introduced;
- to recommend on a possible common basis for criteria for mutual recognition of competencies and diplomas.
Description of work:
- to elaborate and send a questionnaire in order to collect from each EU Member State information on the level of recognition, the initial education’s requirements, the conditions regarding the theoretical and practical training;
- to collect information on the basic requirements which should be fulfilled in each EU Member State in order to establish a system of mutual recognition of RPEs and course diplomas.
WP4 On-the-Job Training (OJT) programmes
WP4 On-the-Job Training (OJT) programmes
Objectives:
- to gather information on the capacities, in terms of subjects, number of places, timing, et cetera of the training providers and other organisations to welcome trainees;
- to examine the lessons learnt from the previous experiences related to the “On-the-Job” training
- to develop new OJT approaches in RP
Description of work:
- to identify field(s) where OJT is especially required (and provided);
- to provide and to analyse the feedback from cases-studies using existing OJT programmes;
- to evaluate the legislative requirements with regards to OJT in RP in various EU Member States;
- to compare the different practical approaches to OJT in the EU Member States;
- to investigate the practical transformation e.g. position in industry, practicals, short term job opportunities;
- to examine the possibility of OJT opportunities for young scientists, in particular from Central and Eastern European countries.
WP5 New concepts and new tools for the ERPC
WP5 New concepts and new tools for the ERPC
Objectives:
- to analyse the feedback from the previous deliveries of the ERPC, as regards its content, its methodology but also concerning its feasibility;
- to perform a survey of the new concepts and new training tools and their availability and suitability for use in the ERPC;
- to increase the quality and the adequacy of, the accessibility to these different tools;
- to identify the best learning resources and propose the most appropriate in order to develop one or two e-learning ERPC-parts.
Description of work:
- to identify the existing tools;
- to identify the tools which have already been validated;
- to provide a feedback on the pro and contra of the existing tools;
- to propose a matrix indicating which of the various tools can fit the specific requirements of the Training RP needs.
WP6 Review of the scientific content of IAEA E&T modules and adjustment to European requirements
WP6 Review of the scientific content of IAEA E&T modules and adjustment to European requirements
Objectives:
- revision of the scientific content of IAEA E&T modules in radiation protection and adjustment to European requirements to ensure compliance of international approaches to E&T
Description of work:
- to compare strategies proposed and/or implemented at the IAEA and the EU level;
- to analyse more specifically the approaches to theoretical requirements as well as those related to OJT;
- to prepare a proposal as input for a new approach of the European Radiological Protection Course.
WP7 Validation of the results, revision of some modules of the ERPC and run of one or two revised modules
WP7 Validation of the results, revision of some modules of the ERPC and run of one or two revised modules
Objectives:
- to analyse the possibilities to include a system of credit points for the ERPC;
- to recommend adaptation of the current ERPC and its validation;
- to prepare a pilot session run of one or two modules of the course.
Description of work:
- to develop a proposal of a new ERPC based on:
a) the conclusions laid down in the WP 4.2, WP 5.2 and WP 6 ;
b) the analyse of the feedback of the 4 years experience with ERPC;
c) to provide for conditions regarding the feasibility of an ERPC
(who, what, how, where, costs, participants).
- To select one or two module(s) in order to run a pilot course
WP8 Establishment of an Erasmus Universities Consortium for developing an European Master in Radiation Protection (EMRP)