Bechtel and NABTU Partner to Advance Nuclear Construction Apprenticeships

Agreement modernizes training to build specialized skills required for large-scale reactors and SMRs

RESTON, Va., May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bechtel and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance and modernize apprenticeship programs supporting the construction of a new generation of U.S. nuclear power plants.

The agreement reflects a strategic alignment between one of the world's most experienced builders of nuclear infrastructure and North America's largest federation of skilled construction unions. Together, the organizations will strengthen apprenticeship pathways and expand specialized training to develop the craft expertise and quality standards required to deliver nuclear projects.

Through this partnership, Bechtel and NABTU will work together to ensure apprenticeship programs continue to evolve to meet the scale of resources needed as well as the technical requirements of modern nuclear construction.

Under the agreement, Bechtel and NABTU will:

• Identify the specialized craft capabilities required for nuclear construction and align apprenticeship training accordingly
• Collaborate with union training centers to modernize curricula supporting nuclear construction methods and technologies
• Coordinate recruitment through union networks to expand pathways into high-skill careers building large reactors and SMRs

Brendan Bechtel, Chair and CEO of Bechtel, said: "Delivering nuclear power plants requires exceptional craft expertise and a deep commitment to safety and quality. 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. Today, we're continuing that work on next-generation technologies like the Natrium Demonstration Project, which represents a new era of nuclear innovation. 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 as well as passes on the specialized knowledge and skills required to safely deliver these projects."

Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU, said: "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. This agreement ensures a continuous pipeline of highly skilled, job-ready craft professionals to build nuclear power's next fleet of reactors. For project owners, that means no labor shortage risk when projects are built under building trades agreements with access to NABTU's union construction workforce. Workforce availability is not a constraint, and projects can be delivered safely, efficiently, and with certainty."

For more than a century, Bechtel and the building trades have partnered to deliver some of the world's most complex infrastructure projects. Most recently, Bechtel and NABTU-affiliated craft professionals worked together to deliver the expansion of Vogtle, and today, are advancing construction on the Natrium Demonstration project in Kemmerer, Wyoming — America's first utility-scale advanced nuclear project.

As the United States advances a new generation of nuclear projects, apprenticeships will remain central to developing the skilled craft workforce capable of delivering them.

To learn more about this partnership, visit Bechtel.com.

Contact: Ashley Accardo, [email protected]

SOURCE Bechtel