Associate Professor Ed Obbard, Director of the UNSW Nuclear Innovation Centre, said thousands of jobs are needed in the industry ranging from "medicine, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, government, policy, mining and defence".

The four-year undergraduate honours degree at the Sydney university entirely focuses on nuclear engineering. 

"This is very timely for Australia because of course we are trying to build a huge workforce in nuclear engineering - primarily to support AUKUS,” Professor Obbard told Sky News. 

"The multi-billion-dollar AUKUS deal will require approximately 20,000 skilled workers," Professor Obbard said.

"This degree would help to meet that demand". 

Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear energy.

Australia has the largest known uranium reserves in the world, approximately one third of the world's resources, according to the Minerals Council Australia. 

However the country has a long-standing moratorium on uranium mining and nuclear energy.

While the Federal Government has no plans on lifting that ban, members of the coalition and some energy experts believe it should be lifted. 

"In my view, we should lift the ban and we could have sensible conversation in Australia about pros and cons," Energy and Climate Change Senior Fellow Grattan Institute Tony Wood told Sky News.

Senator Matt Canavan said the nuclear movement was growing overseas.

"The world is building nuclear power stations,” he said.

"Thirty countries have committed to triple nuclear plants in the next generation and it’s leading to a surge in demand."

Lifting Australia’s moratorium could play a significant role in lowering the world's carbon emissions.

"We are not exporting anywhere near as much as we could, largely because of market demand,” UNSW Associate Professor in Nuclear Materials Patrick Burr said.

Independent Member for Warringah Zali Steggall does not believe Australia should lift the ban and told Sky News "it is not competitive when it comes to the economics". 

"I am not philosophically opposed to uranium, there hasn't been any serious proposals in Queensland for Australia," Assistant Minister for Regional Development Senator Anthony Chisolm told Sky News.

Other experts are urging the public to "think again" when it comes to nuclear energy.  

"To be able to describe nuclear in a way that doesn't require a nuclear engineering degree has probably been somewhat of a failure globally," said Aleshia Duncan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the US Office of Nuclear Energy.

"We need to start having those conversations that can help people more easily understand what nuclear is, what is not, how it can impact their life and how it can benefit not only their future but generations to come."