World Institute for Nuclear Security

Through our work on the International Best Practice Guides and our numerous interactions with practitioners across the nuclear spectrum over the last five years, we have identified that there are few requirements, defined competences or certifications required for personnel with management accountabilities for nuclear security.

We have also discovered that there are no internationally accredited courses for personnel with accountabilities for nuclear security, and as a result, we believe the lack of professional development opportunities may be a root cause behind some ineffective nuclear security programmes.

We created the Academy to address this need.

From August to December 2012, WINS conducted an extensive gap analysis of the potential demand and supply of professional development programmes for nuclear security in 180 countries around the world. For the purposes of the research, we defined the gap as the difference between the availability of professional-level nuclear security courses (i.e. supply), and the number of individuals with nuclear security responsibilities who require training (i.e., demand).

The research focused solely on onsite and offsite professionals at the managerial level who have accountability for nuclear security. Onsite professionals included those employed at nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, research reactors, medical institutes and well logging companies in the oil and gas industry that use radioactive sources. Offsite professionals included emergency response services, governmental regulators, policy makers and border guards dedicated to nuclear security.

The results of our gap analysis indicated that a conservative estimate of practitioners employed in the nuclear, medical and industrial sectors who lack certified professional development opportunities is over 200,000.

Our work is closely aligned with IAEA objectives and international guidance and focuses on security management rather than the responsibilities of the State. We chaired the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Support Centre Working Group B to identify best practices for nuclear security support centres and in December 2012 hosted an international roundtable of professional development experts, including the IAEA, to generate design concepts and revise our strategy. Furthermore, we have received support and guidance from numerous States and influential foundations and have benchmarked current opportunities for professional development in the nuclear sector with those in civil aviation, which are much more advanced.

Certification requirements in fields such as medicine, law and engineering demonstrate that practitioners meet the necessary educational and vocational standards required by their professional bodies to perform their jobs.

Certification has numerous benefits for these professionals. For example, it:

• Demonstrates their credibility and competence
• Conveys their professionalism and ethical standards
• Provides an objective measurement of their knowledge, skills and abilities across all organisations, as well as internationally

Nuclear safety professionals undergo extensive training in their specific areas, and many—such as engineers—are certified, too. Furthermore, they have numerous opportunities to obtain additional, ongoing training. Unfortunately, there are no accredited courses and no structure of required competences for nuclear security professionals. The WINS Academy has been established to address this problem.

Every State is responsible for establishing, implementing, maintaining and sustaining its own nuclear security regime. IAEA guidance also makes clear that operators (or licensees) are responsible for the security of the nuclear and radioactive materials in their charge. In order to carry out their responsibilities effectively, both States and operators must ensure that the people they employ to manage nuclear security functions are demonstrably competent to perform their duties. This is where training and certification from the WINS Academy will prove to be invaluable.

In just six years, WINS has established itself as a vital element in the international effort to implement effective nuclear security practices. WINS now has nearly 2,500 members from over 110 countries, has published more than 33 best practice guides, and has organised more than 55 workshops around the world.

As a result of WINS’ strong publishing and workshop programmes, we have become leaders in the identification and sharing of nuclear security best practices, and tangible improvements to security procedures have already occurred in countries around the world. We are now using what we have learned over the last five years to improve the quality and practice of nuclear security programmes through professional development and training. Over 90% of WINS’ members say they have modified their approach to security management because of their interaction with WINS – which demonstrates the added value of sharing best practices and understanding WINS’ philosophy on how to achieve more effective security arrangements.

No. The WINS Academy wants to reach as many people as possible with its programme in order to enhance best practices throughout the nuclear industry. Therefore, no prior standards or course prerequisites will be required.

We launched our first (2) Modules at the March 2014 Nuclear Security Summit and related summits in the Netherlands. 2 Additional Modules have been released to date and the remaining modules will be released in early 2015. We may develop additional Modules in the future.

Each complete certification programme costs £600 (GBP) and there is a tuition reimbursement incentive for passing the certification exam; we are reimbursing 50% of the cost of the course to those that pass the examinations. For more information about the incentive programmes in place, Please consult the “Academy Section”

The programme package includes:

• Online access to the WINS Academy Foundation Module
• Online access to the WINS Academy Elective Module related to your profession
• A voucher for the certification exams available at over 5,100 accredited tests centers in 175 countries
• Membership in the Academy Alumni upon passing the certification exam

Because our goal is to promote certified professional development and the implementation of best practices worldwide, we price our certification programmes so they will be affordable to as many participants as possible. We have conducted research to benchmark the cost of our Academy programme against other relevant online certification programmes. For more information, please read the article entitled “Academy Costs and Sustainability” in the Latest WINS News section of our website.

We will have a scholarship programme which allows individuals from selected countries and professions to apply for prepaid courses and exams at no cost. In addition, companies and organisations can purchase a discounted block of certification programme packages.

For a complete description of the scholarship programme and the available discounts, contact us at: thewinsacademy@wins.org

WINS has commissioned experts with years of practice and experience in their respective fields to write the basic courses. Once each course has been completed, it is sent to a professional technical editor for editing and then to numerous experts around the world for peer review. Once their comments and suggestions have been incorporated, the manuscript is sent to Pearson Education to be turned into an online course.

Pearson brings a wealth of experience and commitment to the design, development and delivery of world-class educational products for corporations, governments, associations and educational institutions. The team includes instructional designers, assessment specialists, editors, technologists and project managers. It also includes a large network of subject matter experts who are trained in design and development methodologies. The result is that Pearson delivers best-in-class content from across multiple verticals and disciplines.

In addition, WINS has received ISO 9001:2008 certification to demonstrate our commitment to quality, accountability and continuous improvement.

Since the first Nuclear Security Summit in 2010 in Washington, D.C., many nuclear security leaders have begun to stress the need for a stronger nuclear security culture and enhanced training and education opportunities. As a result, a number of countries have begun to establish Centres of Excellence (COE) to provide a centralised location where a country or region can send professionals for training in various aspects of nuclear security.

The courses will be delivered both online and with selected partners at nuclear security centres around the world using a blended learning approach. WINS is currently in discussion with a number of such partners.

All training materials will be available online to all course participants. These materials include the Module content, assignments, quizzes and recommendations for further reading. Participants will complete their work online, and may have the opportunity to go to a partner training centre to do simulations, role plays and additional exercises.

Because every country and organisation has its own specific training needs and regulatory requirements, WINS will provide tools and advice to help individual organisations design, deliver and adapt their courses. In certain circumstances, WINS may jointly design and support training courses that will be delivered by our partners.

WINS partners with Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, to deliver our online courses and certification tests. Pearson works with education institutions, organisations, corporations, associations and government agencies to create effective solutions that are aligned to professional development goals. Pearson serves learners of all ages around the globe, employing 41,000 people in more than 70 countries.

Yes, providing that we receive dedicated financial support. You can help us by suggesting ideas for future courses and programmes.

WINS uses only unclassified information in its Modules and resources, and course participants do not disclose any restricted information. We encourage you to comply with this policy while interacting with other participants.

Upon successfully passing both the Foundation Module and Elective exam, you can receive one of the following certifications:

You might ask the same question in other fields such as medicine or engineering and the answer is to demonstrate your experience and competence through belonging to a professional association that certifies its members. Additionally, WINS aims to challenge the traditional thinking behind nuclear security management and to propose new and more integrated approaches to security to make it more effective. We know from feedback that the traditional attitudes to security management are not good and need changing, and that security managers need to be better understood and respected by their peers in the industry and other organisations. Through the Academy and certification we aim to provide the most current and relevant security management practices that will result in WINS certified professionals having different attitudes and approaches to security.

We expect it to take approximately 80 hours to complete the core Foundation Module and an Elective. We believe this is ideal for busy nuclear security practitioners (especially high-level managers) who almost certainly do not have the time or resources to study for a Master’s degree or attend lengthy residential courses. Academy courses will be short, modular and focused on issues that actually affect professionals in their jobs.

We are initially launching the programme in English only. Further developments will be subject to funding but if the demand exists we will seriously consider providing courses in other languages. The learning management system behind the Academy can support 31 languages so we have the provision to offer this service.

WINS welcomes entries from participants with English as a second language, and is able to provide additional extra exam time as appropriate to individual needs.

Professional societies use accreditation to benchmark and improve the quality and relevance of a profession, employers seek out credentialed professionals, and government agencies and licensing bodies often mandate certification to practice.

Potential benefits of becoming WINS Academy certified include:

• Mastery of nuclear security principles and best practices
• Better job performance
• Recognition of growth, professional development and competencies
• Recognition by peers, employers and recruiters
• Professional networking opportunities
• Improved salary and employment opportunities

We recognise that WINS is pioneering the benefits of certification and that it will take time for governments, regulators and nuclear organisations to hear about the Academy and understand its benefits for practitioners. WINS is creating an Alumni to help build a community of professional security practitioners and will be collating data about the actual benefits of certification. Experience in other sectors, including IT security, shows that professional certification may become the norm in many countries within five years.

Yes, practitioners will need to recertify every three years. We are currently establishing a system of continuing credits for practitioners to earn toward recertification.

Practitioners who receive certification will automatically be invited to join the WINS Academy Alumni, where they will be given additional professional development opportunities and links to fellow experts, job opportunities and upcoming events. Alumni networks (also known as communities of practice) are only as valuable as the level of participation, so we encourage your active involvement.

The alumni network will be hosted on the WINS website. Costs for such a network will be relatively small, but we will require funding to support ongoing engagement activities and maintenance. We will also encourage individuals to support the network by promoting upcoming professional development opportunities and by actively leading discussions.

There are multiple ways to support the WINS Academy.

One way is to submit a formal letter of support endorsing our vision that “all practitioners with management accountabilities for nuclear security are demonstrably competent and provided with opportunities to become professionally accredited.” You can also:

• Promote the need for demonstrable competence amongst your networks.
• Actively support the need to become a certified professional in nuclear security.
• Encourage your State authorities and organisations to support the concept.
• Share your ideas with us regarding future courses and programmes.

We also welcome your financial support.

Certification programmes have a significant initial development cost, but they can become self-sustaining within a few years and our aim is for the Academy to be financially self-sustaining in 2 years time. For this reason, we would be grateful for financial support to defray the initial development costs. We will also offer organisations the opportunity to purchase vouchers to sponsor certification exams for their own personnel.

Yes. WINS welcomes your interest in partnering with us to organise in-person training at your training venues. Our partners will use the Academy’s materials to develop in-person blended training that enables learners to participate in simulations, role play and other kinds of active, hands-on activities.

Because every country and organisation has its own specific training needs and regulatory requirements, WINS will provide tools and advice to help individual organisations design, deliver and adapt their courses. In certain circumstances, WINS may jointly design and support training courses that will be delivered by our partners.

We are certainly willing to provide advice and guidance, subject to there being an agreement between us to cover the costs. Formal certification of other centres is something that WINS is considering for the future.

If you are interested in the WINS Academy and would like to be placed on our notification list, or if you have specific questions about the programme, please email us at: thewinsacademy@wins.org.

We also invite you to become a member of WINS. There is no associated fee for becoming a member. More details on membership benefits can be found on our website. Please click here to become a member.

Please note that being a member of WINS is a prerequisite to access WINS Best Practice Guides and other WINS publications included in the WINS Academy Modules’ required readings. This reading is necessary to complete the final examinations.