To mark the first anniversary since he joined the ECITB, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Chief Executive Andrew Hockey wrote a guest blog for the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) about skills needs for the nuclear sector.
The article came off the back of Andrew attending a Nuclear Parliamentary Panel, hosted by the Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy (TUSNE) and Great British Nuclear, at the House of Commons at the end of April.
The event underlined the important contribution of ‘new nuclear’ to achieve the country’s net zero ambitions, but highlighted skills gaps in the sector as a major hurdle to realising these goals.
Andrew goes on to stress the importance of ramping up training and development to ensure the nuclear industry has the right skills in place to fill these gaps amid increased demand for skilled workers in the sector.
Read the full article on the NIA website
In the article, Andrew cites his recent trips to Sellafield, pictured, and Hinkley Point C as valuable opportunities to discuss the skills and training needs of the nuclear workforce.
He also references the investment in nuclear skills announcement in March – which includes £350 million from the Government and more than £400 million from industry – to help the sector fill 40,000 new jobs by the end of the decade.
“As the statutory skills body for the civil nuclear sector, the ECITB worked with the Nuclear Skills Taskforce to develop its recommendations,” said Andrew.
“We applaud the commitment from industry to strengthen cooperation and investment across the sector to help attract and train the next generation of nuclear workers.”
The article also highlights the Destination Nuclear campaign and ECITB Work Ready Programme as examples of collaborative initiatives that aim to attract and recruit more people into the sector to help fill these skills gaps.
He concludes: “Working in partnership like this underlines the important role we all have in delivering, growing and maintaining a skilled nuclear workforce fit for the future.”
