An important milestone in the journey to an exciting future for Somerset and the wider south west was reached on 12 December, as work to construct the southern hub of the Government’s flagship National College for Nuclear in Cannington got underway. In a year that has seen the go-ahead given for the nuclear new build at Hinkley Point C and the establishment of nuclear sector hubs in Somerset and Bristol, today’s ‘Turning Concept into Reality’ event at Bridgwater & Taunton College’s Cannington Centre attracted widespread interest from industry, community and political stakeholders.
With an estimated £930 billion set to be invested in the nuclear industry worldwide over the next 20 years, the National College aims to train over 7,000 students by 2020 and will support the Government’s ambition to supply 90% of our nuclear workforce from within the UK. Funded by £15m from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with additional finance for the southern hub coming from the Heart of the South West LEP and Bridgwater & Taunton College, it will welcome students from late 2017, focusing on Degree Apprenticeship programmes designed to deliver highly skilled technicians with an innate understanding of the requirements, behaviours and culture of a licensed nuclear environment. EDF Energy and Sellafield Ltd will lead industry input into the curriculum, working alongside Bridgwater & Taunton and Lakes Colleges and the Universities of Bristol, Cumbria and the West of England.
Speaking prior to the event, Vincent de Rivaz CBE, Chief Executive of EDF Energy, said: “EDF Energy is proud to be at the heart of the UK’s new National College for Nuclear. The National College will play a vital role in developing skills across the industry, underpinning the UK’s nuclear renaissance. The industry needs high quality vocational skills so that we can continue to operate the existing nuclear fleet safely for longer, as well as for taking forward plans for the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation. The National College for Nuclear will help ensure the UK has the right skills to participate fully in the global nuclear market.”
If you would like more information about courses at the National College for Nuclear, or are an employer looking for workforce training please contact our Business Development team on 01278 655111 or email info@ncfn.ac.uk or visit www.ncfn.ac.uk