Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Chief Executive Andrew Hockey, Director of Strategy and Policy David Nash, Director of Regional Operations Matt Knights and Thomas Docherty, Head of Strategic Engagement for Nuclear, attended a special event at Sizewell C to pledge our commitment to help ensure the nuclear power station project delivers a skilled and inclusive workforce in the East of England.
Andrew signed the Sizewell C Skills Charter – the result of a collaboration between the ECITB, Sizewell C, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council – which contains a series of practical commitments to address workforce needs, while also ensuring long-term socio-economic benefits for Suffolk and the wider region.
“Collaboration with industry partners is part of our DNA.
“Only through a collaborative approach can we help deliver, grow and maintain a skilled engineering construction workforce fit for now and the future.
“This Skills Charter with the CITB, Sizewell C, Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council formalises this collaboration and sets out our commitment to helping address workforce development needs for the successful construction of the new nuclear power station on the east coast.
“As the statutory skills, standards and qualification body for engineering construction, we are committed to giving workers in Suffolk and the wider region the skills and opportunities they need to prepare them for this project while helping drive up employment and productivity in the region.
“Through our commitment to the Charter, the ECITB will help provide high-quality training, expand entry points into industry with a focus on inclusivity and opportunity, enable upskilling and reskilling, strengthen regional training infrastructure, collaborate on competency frameworks and share labour market intelligence.
“To harness the opportunities from Sizewell C, the ECITB recognises that the training infrastructure of the region will need investment, and that this investment must leave a lasting legacy beyond the lifetime of the project.
“The Charter will help establish a sustainable legacy through robust training infrastructure, a highly skilled regional workforce and transferable skills that contribute to Suffolk’s long-term economic growth.”
Andrew Hockey
ECITB Chief Executive, reflecting on the Charter and his visit, which included a tour of the site one year on from construction starting
Collaboration in action
Key to the Charter is the development of new training programmes tailored to the demands of Sizewell C, which will mean workers can gain industry-recognised qualifications and transferable skills.
It will also prioritise inclusivity, focusing on providing opportunities for underrepresented groups and supporting local communities.
Commitments in the Charter include:
- Getting people job ready: delivering pre-employment programmes and initiatives to ensure local residents, including underrepresented groups, can access training opportunities and pathways into the workforce.
- Upskilling and reskilling: rolling out tailored programmes for upskilling existing workers and reskilling those transitioning from related industries to meet the project’s unique demands.
- Strengthening local infrastructure: establishing centres of excellence and supporting training networks across Suffolk and the East of England to foster long-term skills development.
- Sharing labour market insights: collaborating on workforce data to optimise planning and ensure training meets industry and project needs.
Tim Balcon, Chief Executive Officer at the CITB, said: “This close collaboration across public and private sector is critical to the success of Sizewell C, and its significant contribution to long-term economic growth both regionally and nationally.
“By collaborating on this Charter, we are maximising the value for Suffolk residents and local communities – by working with training providers to support local recruitment and skills development that will have a lasting positive impact on employment and productivity in the area.”
The Charter sets a precedent for future infrastructure projects across the UK, demonstrating the value of collaboration between industry training boards, major developers, and local authorities, and highlighting the importance of harmonised training standards, robust governance and a shared vision for workforce excellence.
Sizewell C has pledged that at least a third of the 7,900 peak construction workforce – around 2,600 jobs – will come from East Anglia.
At least 1,500 Sizewell C apprenticeships will be available over the course of the construction period, with at least 540 of those to come from Suffolk, where the project is based.
Chris Young, Head of Employment Affairs Unit at Sizewell C, added: “The Sizewell C Skills Charter exemplifies our commitment to creating a highly skilled and inclusive workforce, not just for the construction of Sizewell C but for the long-term benefit of the East of England.
“This partnership with CITB, ECITB, and our local authority partners ensures we are building a legacy of skills and opportunities that will endure far beyond the project lifecycle.”
Pictured main from left signing the Charter: Chris Young, Sizewell C Head of Employment Affairs Unit; Tim Balcon, Chief Executive Officer of CITB; Andrew Hockey, Chief Executive Officer of ECITB; Paul Wood, Head of Economic Development and Regeneration at East Suffolk District Council; and Michael Gray, Head of Skills at Suffolk County Council.
Working for Industry: Find out more about the work of the ECITB
