Sizewell C has set out a vision for skills and training in the region to help local people fill thousands of posts at the proposed nuclear power station. The publication of “Sizewell C, Skills and Opportunities in the East of England” comes as the number of apprentices hired at the Hinkley Point C nuclear site in Somerset has passed 500.
by Sizewell C media team/ November 8, 2019/SZC news
Sizewell C has set out a vision for skills and training in the region to help local people fill thousands of posts at the proposed nuclear power station. The publication of “Sizewell C, Skills and Opportunities in the East of England” comes as the number of apprentices hired at the Hinkley Point C nuclear site in Somerset has passed 500.
During the early years of the project workers we will need civil construction workers including plant operators, labourers, scaffolders, steel fixers, welders, carpenters and concrete specialists. We will also need a range of roles to support the construction, including project managers, bus drivers and caterers to feed our growing workforce.
When the civil construction activity peaks at the site we will need up to 3,600 civil construction workers to help build the power station. At this point we could also require over 2,000 other varied roles.
Following the peak of civil construction work, those roles will start to reduce and be replaced by Mechanical, Electrical and Heating (MEH) specialists. The peak of this work will happen during years 7 and 8 of the project and we estimate we will require up to 3,300 MEH roles on site at this time. From Year 8 onwards there is a steady increase in operational roles required to run the power station. Once Sizewell C is complete, 900 skilled operational roles will be required.
Sizewell C has committed to also recruit and train 1,000 apprentices during construction and has already started to recruit for some areas of the project now such as Project Controls.
To deliver the jobs locally Sizewell C is:
- Bringing together Education leaders from across the region to plan which courses will be delivered when and where
- Working with Inspire Suffolk and Access Community Trust to increase access to skills, training and education in Opportunity areas such as Ipswich and Lowestoft
- Working with local students in schools, colleges and careers fairs through the Sizewell visitor centre to show the scale and variety of jobs that will be available.
- Recruiting apprentices and graduates to join the project – like 19 year-old Joshua Wilkins from East Norfolk
Case Studies
19-year-old Joshua Wilkins (pictured) studied engineering and maths at East Norfolk Sixth Form College before starting a Sizewell C Project Controls Technician Apprenticeship in 2019. The three year apprenticeship means that Joshua gets to earn while he learns at one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects in the UK. Whilst Sizewell C is going through the planning application process all training for the project is taking place at Hinkley Point C which is already under construction and at the National College for Nuclear in Somerset. We are working with colleges and other education institutions in the East of England to deliver courses for Sizewell C when the project has planning consent.
Speaking about the course, Joshua said: “I am really enjoying my placement at Hinkley Point C, its great putting the theory I am learning into practice. My father worked on the construction of Sizewell B and I am looking forward to working at Sizewell C in the future.”
Terry Baxter, Chief Executive, Inspire Suffolk, said: “Sizewell C gives Suffolk the opportunity to address some very real social issues that pockets of the county are living with. By delivering a clear education, skills and employment strategy, the power station will have a positive impact on the county and leave a meaningful legacy for those we regularly work with at Inspire Suffolk.”
Jim Crawford, Sizewell C project development director said: “Now we have completed our public planning consultation for Sizewell C, we are working hard to develop the education and skills strategy to deliver jobs and training for local people. As well as working with local schools, colleges and universities we are also partnering with charities such as Inspire Suffolk and Access Community Trust to deliver benefits to some of the most deprived areas of the county.”