By Emma Midgley, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communciation

A new IAEA and LinkedIn Practical Arrangement will bring networking and training opportunities for women in the nuclear field. By joining forces, the IAEA and LinkedIn enter into a new partnership in workforce development and capacity building, especially in the nuclear energy and STEM sectors. This partnership will provide essential resources, including training, research, and access to LinkedIn’s extensive global network, helping to advance critical goals in these fields.

The agreement was signed at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, by IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the co-founder of LinkedIn, Allen Blue, on Tuesday, November 12.

“To achieve our goals and tackle the unprecedented challenges the world is facing, we need the right people. We need experts and leaders with fresh perspectives and skills,” said Mr Grossi. “LinkedIn’s vast network and insights will help  us connect with those qualified people. It will also help women progress in the nuclear field, bringing greater diversity to the workforce.”

This partnership is the beginning of a dynamic and growing collaboration aimed at developing a more skilled, diverse, and sustainable global workforce in STEM and nuclear sectors. Hundreds of women master’s students and mid-career professionals from around the world have been supported by the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship and Lise Meitner Programmes. In addition to monetary scholarships and internship opportunities, fellows benefit from a LinkedIn group for participants and alumnae of the programme that provides a forum for networking and sharing educational and professional development opportunities.

Under the new Practical Arrangement, LinkedIn will offer training sessions to fellows and IAEA staff on how to make best use of its social media platform to help advance their careers. Sessions will range from profile development, building networks and thought leadership to women in STEM and the renewable energy workforce, which includes nuclear energy.

The Practical Arrangement will also give the IAEA access to insights into workforce trends and data in the nuclear field, as well as LinkedIn research into questions and challenges facing the IAEA and the global community regarding nuclear technologies.