SC@nuclear
Manufacturing a Nuclear Future
Saturday 19 May 2012
The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) is the trade association and representative voice of Britain's civil nuclear industry. It represents more than 270 companies and some 59,000 UK nuclear workers. The NIA supports the commercial interests of its member as part of a diverse energy mix for the UK including renewables, clean coal and gas, with nuclear at the heart of a low-carbon future.

ConstructionSkills helps engineering go nuclear

A partnership of CITB-Construction Skills, Imperial College London, Cogent Sector Skills Council and the Constructionarium, which is held at ConstructionSkills Norfolk NCC site, has received funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering to scope the expansion of a Nuclear Island - a unique experience in which engineering students will develop and apply their skills in order to  construct a scaled down, real life construction project.

Replacing the current fleet of nuclear power stations represents a multibillion pound private sector investment programme which will offer great opportunities to young people in the construction and built environment industry.  It is expected that a thousand new recruits will be required every year to ensure that power generation meets projected demand to 2025 and beyond, and every one of these new entrants will need to be highly skilled and ready for action.

Supporting Nuclear Island is one way in which CITB-ConstructionSkills is helping industry to meet the challenge of increasing productivity. Providing hands-on experience for undergraduates means that they will be able to start making a difference as soon as they're onsite, meaning greater efficiencies for business. 

The Nuclear Island will be underpinned by a collaboration of a university, a contractor and consultant working in partnership to deliver a new learning experience that gives university students valuable exposure to the nuclear new build sector. Students will get the chance to develop scaled-down sections of a nuclear power plant and be assessed by criteria such as radiation protection, site licensing, budgetary control and project management. It is hoped that Nuclear Island will become an integral part of several UK civil and nuclear engineering undergraduate courses, meaning more highly skilled graduates available to be recruited by industry.

Nick Gooderson, Head of Training and Qualifications said:

"ConstructionSkills supports this important collaborative initiative. It is vital that UK construction contractors in the bidding run for the New Nuclear Build programme get involved with this scheme to develop and prepare undergraduates."

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