The renaissance of nuclear power both in the UK and globally, coupled with the wider move to a low-carbon economy, provides major opportunities for the nuclear supply chain and skilled employment.
It is estimated that 16GW of new nuclear built in the UK by 2025 (in line with current industry plans) would create up to 30,000 new jobs. There will also be opportunities for manufacturing companies to get involved in the building, operating and decommissioning of the UK’s new nuclear power stations.
Supply Chain
The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) will work with the supply chain and nuclear reactor vendors and operators to help create and support a globally competitive UK supply chain. It will also act as a gateway to market information, contact networks, activities and organisations, to help the UK supply chain fulfil the opportunities presented by new nuclear projects.
In 2008, a revised manufacturing strategy was published - Manufacturing: new challenges, new opportunities - which outlines an ambitious vision for a globally competitive manufacturing sector, and gives more detail on how the OND will continue working with the nuclear supply chain.
In September 2008, The National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) published a report looking into the capability and the capacity of the UK supply chain.
The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), supported by the OND, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and other key partners, will also lead a programme of regional and sector-based initiatives, designed to improve the capability of the UK supply chain, and raise awareness of major opportunities at home and overseas.
Supply Chain developments
In December 2009, the Government announced the new £25m Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC), led by the University of Sheffield with Rolls-Royce as the lead industrial partner. The Centre was officially opened on 18 November 2010.
In 2009 the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) was strengthened, to support British based suppliers for the civil nuclear industry.
There is ongoing support to the industry-led supply chain @ nuclear programme including the Nuclear Supply Chain portal, launched in conjunction with the Nuclear Industry Association.
Skills
The OND currently has two key objectives in its skills remit:
- To ensure that the UK has the appropriate skilled workforce to deliver nuclear new build in the UK by 2018
- To help the development of UK nuclear skills so that UK workers can play a full role in nuclear new build
It does this by working closely with skills bodies, employers, universities and colleges to help identify skills shortages and gaps and provide teaching, research and training.
Nuclear and radiological technology is an important part of power generation, national defence and health care, as well as research, development and manufacturing. There is also a substantial legacy from past nuclear activities that is the subject of the decommissioning programme, led by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
We need skilled people in all these areas. However, due to past peaks in recruitment, the workforce age profile is skewed, and retirement will take an increasing toll through the 2010s. This is not unique to nuclear; the workforce is ageing across the energy sector, in the UK and throughout the developed world.
To address this the National Skills Academy for Nuclear was set up in January 2008, to work with existing training providers across the UK to develop training and qualifications in this area. In its first three years, it intends to provide 1,200 apprenticeships and 150 foundation degrees, as well as work-based training to help 4,000 employees move from operations to decommissioning.
To identify possible future skills gaps and develop mitigating actions, the Nuclear Development Forum and OND requested that Cogent (the Sector Skills Council covering nuclear) look at this issue alongside other reports that they have published on the civil nuclear workforce. In March 2010, they published Next Generation: Skills for New Build Nuclear which identified future possible skills gaps and high risk skills (if current industry plans are realised), and suggested a series of mitigating actions to minimise the risk of key skill shortages.
The Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance is made up of key stakeholders continues to meet on a quarterly basis to review progress against the mitigating actions and ensure that they are kept up to date.
Also, to make sure that nuclear skills continue to be developed and be available as we move towards building the UK’s new power stations the creation of the National Nuclear Laboratory in Cumbria was announced on 23 July 2008.
Related documents are available from the National Archives version of the Nuclear: Skills web page.