Skills Boost – College chief Stuart Rimmer on unlocking regional potential

The Sizewell C sister project, Hinkley Point C, has already brought opportunities to the students of East Coast College, Suffolk and has enabled positive relationships to be created.

east-coast-college Sizewell apprentice Suzie Jones with East Coast College Principal Stuart Rimmer

As the Principal of East Coast College, the nearest college to the Sizewell C site in Leiston, Suffolk, I speak from experience as to the positively formed relationships and absolute focus by EDF on unlocking our regional potential.

For a number of years we have been working alongside EDF to explore challenges and opportunities provided to our local communities through the Sizewell C project. We anticipate East Coast College to be a key strategic partner to EDF as a new scheme progresses. The College has already begun to build capability and capacity in advance of potential investments at Sizewell C, including through our £11m Energy Skills Centre, which is creating benefit to adjacent supply chains such as in renewable offshore wind or local small and medium size enterprises in mechanical and electrical engineering.

The college is also forward thinking in terms of skills and is already developing courses to support retraining into the high paid, high skilled jobs that EDF SZC project will bring -as education and industry work together.

EDF’ has already supported aspirational career events, such as the partnership with ECITB to deliver careers events for all ages demonstrating amazing opportunities.  The most recent being that of “STEM power” that saw 50 young females undertake a two-day programme that raised awareness of possible careers and associated skills.  A site visit to Sizewell B enabled female STEM ambassadors to ignite young people’s passion something that East Coast College instils in all of its work.

The college has witnessed the amazing opportunities at Hinkley Point and have been encouraged by the industry led college partnerships creating local skills infrastructure and driving local opportunities.  We would expect and anticipate similar at the Sizewell C development. The college is pleased to have the opportunity to learn from colleagues in delivery at Hinkley C to ensure that we can support the much needed skills and training need of our own region, in the near future.

Stuart Rimmer
CEO/Principal
East Coast College

Source: EDF Sizewell C Media Team/SZC News