[en] In the early 1990's, nuclear engineering programs in universities across the United States began to collapse. Whereas at the beginning of the decade, there were nearly 2000 nuclear engineering students studying in US colleges and universities, the perception that there was no future career in nuclear technology led to a drop in enrolments to less than 800 by 1998. At the same time, entire programs were closing and university research reactors were being shut down at a rate of almost one each year. A governmental decision was made to reverse this trend. Impactful investments in university research, scholarships and fellowships, and infrastructure - along with vocal support for this field of study from senior government officials and members of Congress - had an immediate impact. Enrolments grew quickly and later accelerated as industry began hiring aggressively. Today, there are around 5000 nuclear engineering students in US schools, many focused on medical applications, non-proliferation, fusion and other areas - including, of course, advanced nuclear energy technologies. The nuclear specialists emerging from these education programs arrived at just the right time, as governmental agencies, industry and scientific organisations rushed to prepare for retirements in the ranks of experienced nuclear engineers. The foresight to support nuclear education in the late 1990's averted what might have been a crisis in human resources by 2010. However today, as we review the situation globally, the potential for a crisis over the next decade in the availability of trained nuclear specialists seems extraordinarily high. In many NEA countries, training of nuclear engineers and scientists is on a steadily declining path. Once highly lauded programs have been significantly diminished or already eliminated. In some fields, such as nuclear chemistry - which is essential in the application of radioactive materials to support advanced medical applications and explore advanced treatments for nuclear waste - few programs exist anywhere. No matter what energy policies are chosen by NEA member countries, the long-term nature of nuclear power will require many nuclear specialists. The field of health physics, which is essential for the safe implementation of any activity involving radiological materials and process, including addressing nuclear waste and legacy facilities, highlights the risks now facing us. A survey last year of members of the NEA Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) found that the number of universities offering health physics degrees or courses in NEA member countries had dropped by more than a third over the last decade. The NEA has begun reviewing ways it can help its members address these challenges. The CRPPH is considering the establishment of an NEA training course to educate young health physicists on the intentions of the principle concepts of the radiological protection system. We are also engaging with the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency to jointly organise courses for nuclear leaders. Most prominently, the NEA hopes to soon launch the NEA Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology framework, known as 'NEST'. NEST would enable member countries, to cooperate in the development of a new generation of nuclear science and technology specialists. Our plan is to establish multinational, multidisciplinary projects in a range of topics aimed at the development of practical solutions to real-world problems