With an estimated 150,000 skilled people needed to meet the UK’s target of 24GW of nuclear power, the Nuclear AMRC is expanding the support it provides to companies for skills development and training.
Companies are only as good as their people, and we are committed to helping the UK’s nuclear supply chain recruit and retain suitably qualified personnel.
There is a shortage of qualified staff across the nuclear sector, and we are working with our partners to help close the gaps. Our industrial advisory board for skills includes representatives from Westinghouse, UKAEA, Jacobs, Rolls-Royce and Sellafield.
We recently worked with our sister centre, the AMRC Training Centre, to create the new Nuclear Scientist and Nuclear Engineer Degree Apprenticeship.
In 2022, we worked with Rolls-Royce’s submarines business, the National College for Nuclear and University of Derby to launch the Nuclear Skills Academy, which is now training 200 apprentices a year. We are exploring opportunities to adapt this model for other parts of the nuclear sector.
We continue to work with industry and training partners to develop curriculums and continuing professional development courses for the future, with digital engineering skills at the forefront. We aim to bring our expertise on advanced manufacturing technologies, codes and standards, and control systems and instrumentation into the classroom, to give people the skills and knowledge to work at the cutting edge of nuclear engineering.
We work in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Nuclear to provide expert training for industry needs, and with the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group to ensure a joined-up approach across the sector. We actively support industry skills and recruitment initiatives such as Destination Nuclear.
We are also working with the other centres within the High Value Manufacturing Catapult on future workforce development across the full range of the UK’s advanced manufacturing sectors.
We regularly engage with young people at schools and colleges and through events to promote study and careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with several of our staff trained as STEM Ambassadors.
And to develop our own pipeline of talent, we regularly sponsor young professionals through the Nuclear Graduates programme.
To find out more about our skills support, contact Liz Gregory, supply chain and skills director.
