nuclear skills passport launching soon

Your EYE on Skills for the Nuclear Industry in the UK
Edition 10, July 2010
Highlights in This Issue....
1 New Look unveiled
2 The search for the stars
of the next generation :
4 Chief Executive receives
Honorary Fellowship of
the Nuclear Institute
5 First Quality Assured
Provider for the East of
England
6 Launch of NEF Assured
7 Focus on ... Springfields
training centre’s
Diamond Jubilee.
9 Nuclear Skills Passport
Update
10 Making STEM more
attractive
11 Big Bang
12 The Nuclear Island
13 New Regional
Managers for Wales
15 Skills Academy on tour
NUCLEAR SKILLS PASSPORT
LAUNCHING SOON
Representatives of organisations taking part in the final pilot phase of the Nuclear Skills Passport
were presented with their site posters at the May Skills Academy Board Meeting. This also marks
the roll out of communications packs, which will be distributed to all member companies to aid
with communicating the roll out of the Nuclear Skills Passport system to their employees and
contractors later this year.
Supported by
In the picture above:
Front row poster recipients l-r, Tricia Austin - National Skills Academy Nuclear, Philip Parker - Energy Solutions, John Male - David
Barber - EDF Energy, Nigel Couzens - NDA, Alan Coley - Babcock Nuclear Ltd, Also pictured l-r Jean Llewellyn-National Skills Academy
Nuclear, Nick Cusick - National Skills Academy Nuclear, Les Agnew - Sellafield Sites, Mike Graham - Prospect, Steve Ball - URENCO,
Jon Heley-MOD, Joanna Woolf-Cogent SSC, Rob Smart - Areva, David Bonser - Chair of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear
Board, Mike Tynan - Westinghouse
W
elcome to our new look newsletter. Since
the Skills Academy started the newsletter 3 years
ago the organisation has grown its offering to
the Nuclear Industry substantially. To reflect this
growth of remit throughout the UK, we have
changed the name of our newsletter from
Nucleus to Nuclei.
This is the first newsletter since the change in
government, and I am pleased to report that the
Skills Academy has already developed strong
relationships with the new government, ensuring
that the skills needs of the nuclear industry in the
UK are represented effectively.
At the Nuclear Industry Forum, London 16th
June 2010, Charles Hendry Minister of State
(Renewable Energy), Energy and Climate
Change commented on the skills challenges
facing the sector, and the importance of the
Skills Academy;
"This skills shortage has to be faced and to
me this presents an opportunity. In facing
this we must look to creating long term job
prospects for a dynamic sector. This sector
has the potential to create an estimated
30,000 jobs.
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear is
doing excellent work so far, in bringing skills
and training together across the nuclear
sector.”
Jean Llewellyn Chief Executive
National Skills Academy for Nuclear
A LEADING EXAMPLE OF A SUCCESSFUL
SKILLS ACADEMY
To ensure maximum impact and benefit for
employers it is essential that key bodies work
together to deliver the skills agenda. To this end
the Skills Academy has recently signed formal
partnership agreements/MoUs with:
The New Engineering Foundation, to further
develop our work on the quality assurance of
employer skills provision and professional
recognition.
The National Skills Academy for Construction
to support the nuclear new build agenda,
bringing together the strengths of both these
Skills Academies to ensure the safe and efficient
building of new nuclear power stations.
Senior Civil Servants taking the lead on Skills Academies, FE
and Sector Skills Councils came to visit the National Skills
Academy for Nuclear to learn about a successful Skills
Academy in action.
A tripartite agreement between Cogent, the
Skills Academy and the Nuclear Institute to
ensure alignment between the important work
of each of these key bodies in the nuclear sector
and to deliver the drive for excellence in skills for
the nuclear industry.
The visit included a presentation at the Daresbury Office on
progress and developments to date, followed by a visit to
Springfields to learn more about the nuclear industry and how
the Skills Academy is supporting their skills agenda. The visit
included a trip round the plant and a visit to the Springfields
Apprentice workshop which is a Quality Assured Provider of the
Skills Academy.
I hope you enjoy your new look newsletter!
1
UK Nuclear Skills
Awards
Palace Hotel,
Manchester
10th March 2011
THE Skills for Nuclear Event of the Year!
National Skills Academy for Nuclear and
Cogent Sector Skills Council joint Annual
UK Nuclear Skills Awards Dinner.
The dinner is fast becoming a firm favourite on the nuclear sectors
calendar. It is a unique opportunity for employers and stakeholders
across the Nuclear industry to join together for an informal evening
where we can all celebrate success in workforce development
through a number of Key awards.
Musical Entertainment at the 2010 event
The evening will begin with a drinks reception, which has been kindly
sponsored by Westinghouse/Springfields Fuels Ltd, before
progressing to the Grand Room for the evenings entertainment and
Skills Awards.
Celebrity Speaker, Penny Mallory keeps everyone entertained
Awards will include....
* Northwest/Northeast Nuclear Advanced Apprentice of Year
* Southeast/East Nuclear Advanced Apprentice of the Year
* Southwest Nuclear Advanced Apprentice of the Year
* Scotland Nuclear Advanced Apprentice of the Year
* Wales Nuclear Advanced Apprentice of the Year
* National Nuclear Apprentice of the Year
*Northwest/Northeast LV2 Apprentice of the Year
*Southeast.East LV2 Apprentice of the Year
*Southwest LV2 Apprentice of the Year
*Wales LV2 Apprentice of the Year
* Foundation Degree student of the Year
* HND Student of the Year - Scotland only
This high profile event will be the perfect evening for networking or
corporate entertaining. There are a number of sponsorship
opportunities available for companies wishing to raise their profile at
this high calibre event. For more information click here.
For information on booking seats/tables at the event click here, or
contact Mary Kinsella (National Skills Academy Nuclear) on 01925
607045, or Kate Hutchins (Cogent Sector Skills Council) on 01925
515220.
Celebrating his achievement : Lewis Rush UK Nuclear
Apprentice of the Year - who will take the big award next year?
2
PREVIOUS WINNERS
THE SEARCH BEGINS FOR THE FUTURE
STARS OF THE NEXT GENERATION
* Do you have the best Apprentice or Advanced Apprentice
working in the Nuclear sector directly under your nose?
Anna Mawson - Northwest/Northeast
Regional Apprentice of the Year
* Have you got the Foundation Degree/HND Student of the
Year in your organisation/training institution?
* Do you believe that you are/ or have the best of the best?
The Skills Academy are looking for nominations in the categories
of Nuclear Apprentice and Advanced Apprentice of the Year,
Foundation Degree Student of the Year and HND Student of the
year (Scotland). The finalists will be selected to be invited to
attend the high profile UK Nuclear Skills Awards Dinner which will
be held on the 10th March 2011 in Manchester.
The UK Nuclear Skills Awards Dinner is a collaborative event
organised by Cogent Sector Skills Council and the National Skills
Academy for Nuclear, which will feature both the Regional and
National award presentations.
Justin Woodley - Southeast/East
Regional Apprentice of the Year
Lewis Rush - Southwest Apprentice of
the Year & UK Apprentice of the Year
These Awards seek to acknowledge and celebrate learners’
exceptional contributions to their workplace. The Apprentice
category has been split into two categories for the 2011 event.
Advanced Apprentice of the Year.
Northwest/Northeast,
Southeast/East,
Southwest,
Scotland,
Wales.
National Advanced Apprentice of the Year will be assessed from
the winners of the Regional Awards.
Level 2 Apprentice of the Year
Northwest/Northeast,
Southeast/East,
Southwest,
Wales.
National Level 2 Apprentice of the Year will be assessed from the
winners of the Regional Awards.
Nathan Mackay - Scotland Apprentice
of the Year
Marc Jones - Wales Apprentice of the
Year
Foundation Degree Student of the Year
HND Student of the Year - Scotland only
Applications are welcome for all Apprentice award categories from
Nuclear Employers on behalf of students who have completed or
will complete their framework in 2010.
Victoria Martin - Foundation Degree
Student of the Year
Applications for the Foundations Degree Student of the Year are
welcome from employers with Foundation Degree students who
are completing, or have completed at least the first two years of
their qualification. Click here for further information for
applications for any of the awards above.
In all categories the Skills Academy are looking for
individuals who have gone beyond everyone’s
expectations, or have demonstrated huge improvement
throughout their studies
Michael Macaulay - HND/HNC Student
of the Year (Scotland)
3
CHIEF EXECUTIVE AWARDED HONORARY FELLOWSHIP OF THE
NUCLEAR INSTITUTE.
The fellowship was awarded to Jean Llewellyn by Paul
Thomas President of the Nuclear Institute at the
annual northwest Nuclear Institute dinner on the
13th May 2010. Upon announcing Jean’s fellowship,
Paul Thomas highlighted that this honorary fellowship
was awarded to Jean as a “person of recognised
distinction in the nuclear sector.” Jean is only the
second person to have been awarded this honorary
status by the Nuclear Institute, and is the first female
recipient.
Jean’s connection to the nuclear industry began in
2003, when she was Head of Skills Policy for the
Northwest Development Agency. Whilst in this
position, Jean was chair of the Nuclear Employers
Steering Group for 2 years, a period which saw Jean’s
first successful nuclear skills project, a bid to create the
ENERGUS training facility in West Cumbria. This
training facility has since become the Northwest
flagship delivery centre for the Skills Academy.
Jean Llewellyn has become recognised across the
sector for her tireless leadership of the employer-led
National Skills Academy for Nuclear. Since the Skills
Academy’s inception in 2007, Jean has been a key
driving force in building and sustaining the
organisation as an effective and viable force for
ensuring the sector has the skills necessary for
maintaining a safe world-class nuclear industry in the
UK.
Jean Llewellyn, Chief Executive of the National
Skills Academy for Nuclear;
“I am absolutely thrilled to be awarded this
Honorary Fellowship of the Nuclear Institute, it is
the highlight of my professional career. I have
worked for the nuclear industry for the past 7 years
and I am now delighted to be able to continue this
important work as part of the industry. It is a great
recognition of the success and impact of the
National Skills Academy for Nuclear over the last
two years which couldn’t have been achieved
without all the hard work and dedication of my
team, and the leadership and support of the
employer Board and Regional Chairs. This award
clearly demonstrates the commitment of nuclear
employers and their professional body – the Nuclear
Institute, to the importance of the skills agenda.”
David Bonser, Chair of the National Skills
Academy Board;
“ I have had the pleasure of working closely with
Jean and the Skills Academy, since the initial
planning stages of the Skills Academy, which
began in 2006. I am sure that all the board,
which is comprised of Nuclear employer
representatives, will agree that this honorary
status is very well deserved, and could not have
been given to a more deserving person.
Jean has worked assiduously with nuclear
employers to develop skills solutions for the
industry. The nuclear sector is very lucky to have
Jean leading its Skills Academy, and I look
forward to continuing to work with Jean on
future solutions to the skills requirements of the
nuclear industry.”
Joanna Woolf, Chief Executive Officer of
Cogent Sector Skills Council;
“Jean took up the critically important position of
CEO of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear
with great energy and commitment and of
course a respected track record working with the
nuclear industry. It was clear from the outset
that she would make the vision of a Skills
Academy a reality, steering it to success with
tremendous industry support and working with
us at Cogent to drive up skills and training
across this renaissance sector. This Honorary
Fellowship is an accolade which reflects all this
hard work and on behalf of everyone at Cogent
SSC, I would like to congratulate Jean on this
recognition from the Nuclear Institute.”
BMSL GROUP
The BMSL Group have become the first Recruitment Agency showcased on
the National Skills Academy for Nuclear website. This has come from the
number of requests from visitors to the website looking for recruitment
opportunities.
The new recruitment agency section will sit within our nuclear careers
section with our member vacancies page.
THE FIRST QUALITY ASSURED PROVIDER IN THE EASTERN
REGION
West Suffolk College have become the first Quality
Assured provider in the East of England for the Skills
Academy.
WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE
Dr Pat Upson CBE, Chair of South East and East Steering
Group of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear and Steve
Barrett, South East and East Regional Manager of the
National Skills Academy for Nuclear, visited the College in
July.
They presented a plaque to College Principal Dr Ann Williams,
marking the College’s status as a preferred training provider
for Sizewell and the industry’s supply chain across a range of
sectors.
Dr Pat Upson presents College Principal Dr Ann Williams with the
plaque which marks the college’s status in the network.
Steve Barrett said: “West Suffolk College brings a high quality provider network and a wealth of experience in
high quality training delivery to the Skills Academy. This is reflected in the College’s achievement of preferred
supplier status with Sizewell. Quality Assured training providers are very important to the Skills Academy, as they
will be delivering training that meets the industry training standards set by nuclear employers.”
Dr Ann Williams said: “I see this as a very important step for the future and am very pleased that our College will
be so well placed to deliver the training to meet the local needs of this industry sector.”
The procedure for becoming a provider is a rigorous one, with employer representatives on the approval panel
which awarded the accreditation in order to ensure that training meets the standards required by employers in
the sector.
Martyn Wagner, Vice Principal Business & Student Services thanked Business Development manager Elizabeth
Bray for her work in producing the submission and Gary Clarke, Head of Faculty of Arts & Technology, and
Technology staff members for organising the validation visit.
SUSSEX COAST COLLEGE HASTINGS
Sussex Coast College Hastings also joins
the Quality Assured provider network in
the Southeast/East Regional Cluster.
In June 2010, the Ore Valley campus of
the College opened its doors to learners.
The three storey building enjoys the very
latest training technologies designed to
give
students
real-life
learning
experiences in their chosen field. Ore
Valley also serves as the hub for the
college's community and enterprise
partnerships guaranteeing learners the
best start to their careers or further
learning by ensuring that the curriculum
closely reflects employers' needs.
Skills Academy Southeast/East Regional Manager Steve Barrett presents the plaque
to Sussex Coast College Hatsings Principal, Sue Middlehurst.
5
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY STANDARDS / LAUNCH OF NEF ASSURED
(NUCLEAR)
Member companies who are interested in having training completed at their site (s) recorded onto the
Nuclear Skills Passport System are invited to attend a meeting at The Cockcroft Institute, Daresbury,
Warrington on Wednesday 11th August 2010 time - 10.30am - 2.30pm.
The purpose of the meeting is to update interested members on what is happening with regards to Nuclear
Industry Standards and the Self Assessment Process required for their successful delivery.
The NEF Assured ( Nuclear) pilot is also nearing completion and we will be confirming the process required
for a site (s) to successfully achieve NEF Assured (Nuclear) provider status.
This is an open invitation to member companies, and we would advise that places are very limited. If you
would like to attend, you will need to register an interest with [email protected].
Please note that there are limited places available for this meeting, and places will be allocated on a first
come first served basis. Once you have registered your interest, you will be informed of your place allocation.
NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
Neil Longfellow with the pilot scheme delegates
The pilot of the Certificate in Leadership which has been
developed in partnership by the Skills Academy and the University
of Central Lancashire was launched in April.
The 10 day programme, aimed at Band 3 level, is run in five, two day
modules and covers leadership, self awareness, safety leadership,
change and how to achieve optimum performance.
The pilot of the scheme was supported by Neil Longfellow and a
number of the Executive Team at Westinghouse Fuels Ltd.
“Since the move to the new contractual arrangements, we have to
make change happen and these leaders have an opportunity to
make a difference through leadership, hard work, drive and
commitment. Programmes of this kind give leaders the tools and
confidence to make that change a reality.”
The UCLan senior lecturer on the programme, Judi Morgan, was
pleased with the pilot. “Feedback from the students has been
excellent and they have applied themselves to the study in a very
positive way. I’ve no doubt that Springfields is in good hands with
these managers!”
ENERGY CENTRE
BECOMING A REALITY
Work has commenced on the second phase
of the major redevelopment of North
Highland College’s Thurso campus.
Contractors commenced the preparation of
the ground on the west side of the complex
for the Engineering Skills Centre, which will
become the North of Scotland’s flagship
training centre for the Skills Academy.
The £7million centre is being designed to
support vocational skills for science and
engineering developments across the north.
It will provide courses for present and
prospective workers in the energy and
engineering industries.
Westinghouse Skills Development Manager Sylvia McMahon,
“ A course at this level is something that we have had a real need
for and the timing of the pilot has been key to give our leaders the
tools to be able to bring success to the site for the future.”
6
QUALITY ASSURED PROVIDER SPRINGFIELDS CELEBRATES 60
YEARS OF WORLD CLASS TRAINING
This year marks the diamond anniversary of one of the most
successful and respected engineering training schemes in the
country.
On the morning of Monday 11 September 1950 seven apprehensive
young trainees walked through the gates of the Springfields nuclear
fuel manufacturing plant, then operated by the Ministry of Supply.
They were about to embark on an apprenticeship which laid the
foundations for an award winning, World Class engineering training
scheme that would last for decades.
The training received in those early days was different than it is
today. The first year's training was spent in the training centre, with
the remaining four years working side by side with time-served
craftsmen and learning on the job.
The original 1950 intake of apprentices
An apprenticeship in 1950 lasted for five years and a young
trainee's take home pay was about £2 a week.
Throughout the 60 years of the scheme nearly 1700 apprentices
have been trained to the highest quality in a number of engineering
disciplines. From its modest beginnings in a small, converted, single
storey building, the apprentice training centre is now a purpose-built
£2.4 million modern Skills Training Centre, which was officially
opened by the BNFL Chairman Con Allda in 1982.
Apprentice Training Centre, opened in the mid 1950's
Springfields’ training provision was last inspected in January 2006
by the Adult Learning Inspectorate, which is now part of Ofsted. It
was top marks all round for the effectiveness of the training
provision, Springfields Fuels Limited’s leadership and management
and its arrangements for quality improvement. In addition, the
training in engineering and manufacturing technologies was
identified as a major positive.
In 2008 Springfields was certified as an Associate Member of the
National Skills Academy for Nuclear , and was later accredited as a
Skills Academy Quality Assured Provider for engineering training.
The recognition ensured Springfields is an integral part of a quality
assured network of organisations providing engineering training for
the Nuclear Industry and the North West region as a whole.
The value of the scheme at Springfields is also acknowledged by the
trade unions, who have worked in partnership with management
over the years to develop the scheme. The unions believe the quality
of training available at Springfields is essential in ensuring that the
skills shortages experienced in other industries are not experienced
at Springfields.
The Apprentice Training Manager, Keith Tidmarsh, who started as
an apprentice at Springfields in September 1975, pointed out the
popularity of the highly respected scheme:
"We receive about 20 applications for every apprenticeship we
can offer. There is a rigorous selection process which includes
testing and interviews.
Keith believes a modern apprentice has many advantages over
those of the 1950's. "The company now looks on these young
people to be technicians and possibly even the managers of
the future and the training is structured with this in mind."
Mark Cooper, a 17 year old Mechanical Apprentice with
Westinghouse/Springfields Fuels Ltd secures the last fastener
on the new National Skills Academy for Nuclear membership
sign outside the Springfields Training Centre.
7
Demonstrating
EXCELLENCE in
Skills for Nuclear
High Quality Transferable Skills - via the Nuclear Skills Passport.
Revolutionise the evidencing of the skills of your workforce.
The Nuclear Skills Passport will be rolled out to industry in 2010.
Are you ready for implementation?
Contact your Regional Manager for further details.
Supported by
FOR MORE INFORMATION
contact the Skills Academy
01900 898120
[email protected]
8
TRANSFORMING THE EVIDENCING OF SKILLS FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
There is strong industry support for the Nuclear Skills
Passport, which has led to member organisations of
the Skills Academy committing to including the
Nuclear Skills Passport as ‘highly desirable’ in tenders
following the system’s implementation later this year.
All companies who are looking to contract with the
nuclear sector are urged to ensure that they have
Nuclear Skills Passports in place for their employees.
The eagerly awaited Nuclear Skills Passport is fast
becoming a reality and is in its final pilot phase, ready for
implementation by industry in autumn 2010.
The Nuclear Skills Passport will bring about a step change
for the nuclear sector by introducing an effective vehicle
for the introduction of industry agreed, and cross site
recognition of both internal and external skills
development and training.
There is a high level of external and industry-wide support
for this revolutionary initiative as it strives to change the
way the nuclear sector addresses skills needs and
challenges across the industry. The Nuclear Skills Passport
is a key vehicle for raising the bar in terms of Quality
Assurance and as a vehicle for achieving a high skills
standard across the industry.
The incorporation of ‘National Nuclear Industry Training
Standards’ is of particular importance to the industry and
nuclear employers have worked with Cogent Sector Skills
Council and the National Skills Academy for Nuclear to
agree the standards which will be recognised across the
sector via the Nuclear Skills Passport system.
The Nuclear Skills Passport is a web based system which
offers all nuclear organisations instant secure web access
to information on their nuclear skills base, offering a
detailed overview of the training completed by their
workforce. Site Licence Companies (SLCs) and other large
companies will be able to view the training completed by
their supply chain companies providing assurance of the
level and quality of skills and training across the
organisation. For contractors, the Skills Passport provides
a simple, highly secure method of aiding in the
demonstration of SQEP (suitably qualified and
experienced personnel), vital when bidding for contracts.
The system will enable organisations to effectively assess
and plan their training, skills and people requirements. At
an individual level, career development will be supported
by enabling people to complete their own skills analysis
against defined nuclear job roles. Once people have
identified their skills gaps, they will be able to locate High
Quality Providers via the system.
It is anticipated that the system will bring a number
of benefits to the nuclear sector such as;
•
Harmonisation and standardisation of
training across the industry in the UK.
•
Support the flexibility and mobility of the
workforce, as training standards are recognised at
different sites.
•
Reduces mobilisation times for supply chain
organisations, offering a more efficient service.
•
Demonstrating excellence in skills across the
nuclear industry
•
Recognition and recording in one place of
standards required by other bodies working to support
the Nuclear Industry such as Construction Skills and
ECITB
•
The system will provide significant cost savings
to the industry by eliminating the costs of
repeat/duplicate training, reduced costs of operating
training departments, reduced costs of contracts for
the SLC and reduce the cost of data capture.
What is happening now?
The final pilot phase commenced at the beginning of
May 2010, with a particular focus on testing the
integration of the Nuclear Skills Passport system with
existing HR systems and processes. The pilot is being
undertaken by 8 employer members of the National
Skills Academy for Nuclear: Carillion, Amec, Babcock
Nuclear Ltd (environment), NDA, Lab Impex, Magnox
North, Magnox South and EDF Energy.
Through performance measurement from the pilot,
the Skills Academy will be able to put in place the
necessary measures to ensure a smooth transition of
the Nuclear Skills Passport to the rest of the industry.
Organisations who are members of the Skills Academy,
will gain access and use of the Nuclear Skills Passport
as part of their membership, enabling them to
demonstrate their excellence in skills for the Nuclear
industry.
For further information the Nuclear Skills Passport
W: nuclearskillspassport.co.uk
E: [email protected]
9
“The children loved the
workshop, they were
enthusiastic and
several said; “we love
science; it’s the best.”
MAKING STEM MORE ATTRACTIVE
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear teamed up
with Teachers from Industry to deliver a STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) Primary
School Programme which promoted and supported the
teaching of STEM subjects in primary schools. The
Skills Academy managed this project, on behalf of the
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as part of its Skills
Strategy.
The project concentrated on two Engineering themes,
Electrical (electrical circuits) and Mechanical (Simple
Mechanisms) aimed at Key Stage one and two. For
each theme, teachers from industry provided their own
‘specialist teachers’ to deliver workshops to students
in schools, provided teacher training INSET days and
produced a teacher’s resource kit. The main aim of
this activity was to enable teachers to present the
subjects in a creative and fun way to stimulate and
encourage both the teachers and the pupils.
The project has delivered 172 workshops to over 4,500
primary school pupils on each topic and provided 8
INSET training workshops to 94 teachers. The project
concentrated on geographical areas close to civil
nuclear activity in England, primarily in the Preston,
Risley and Capenhust areas.
Feedback from both the workshops has been extremely
positive;
“The thrill of completing electrical circuits and the
challenge of solving problems and working as a
group provides the children with lots of
encouragement to develop an interest in science,
technology and engineering.”
Equally feedback from attendees of the INSET days
has also been extremely positive;
“Absolutely brilliant day! I had no knowledge of
the areas covered in the course. I now feel that I
have a firm grounding and can use this with the
teacher pack and DVD for good teaching.”
“ This has definitely improved my subject
knowledge, but more importantly it has shown me
how to make teaching extremely fun, interactive
and accessible to children throughout the primary
years.”
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear has been
involved with this project following concerns from
nuclear employers about the reported steady decline
in students choosing to study physics, chemistry and
engineering.
Teachers from Industry have been working with
primary schools for 20 years and with the objective of
promoting and enhancing the teaching of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in primary
schools through the development and delivery of fun,
hands-on workshops.
Suzanne Brown, Managing Director, Teachers from
industry;
“Teachers from Industry believe that there is a
great need to assist primary school teachers in
inspiring their pupils to be interested in STEM
subjects. Primary schools, unlike secondary schools,
often do not have any teachers with a background
or training in science or engineering. Primary
school teachers often find science and technology
difficult to teach.”
10
THE BIG BANG: UK YOUNG SCIENTISTS
AND ENGINEERS FAIR
Promoting the nuclear sector as a career choice
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear exhibited within the
NWDA area at the Big Bang Event at Manchester G Mex on all 3
days with support from member organisations NIS Ltd, Babcock
Nuclear Ltd, AMEC, Springfields and Nuvia. NIS Ltd provided a
glove box, which was used to provide a number of activities and a
competition to win an IPOD Touch, to attract the young people to
our stand, we had queues of people waiting to 'have a go'. We also
played the Energy Foresight DVD and had a training Radiation
Monitor device, we produced a careers leaflet that highlighted the
opportunities that are available in the Nuclear Sector.
This free event for 7-19 year olds, their teachers and families was a
fantastic success attracting more than 22,500 people over the 3
days, the Big Bang provided an excellent opportunity for the
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
community to come together to enthuse and inspire young people
about careers in STEM.
The Fair also celebrated the achievement of young people by
featuring the finals of the National Annual Science & Engineering
Competition and its awards ceremony - where the UK Young
Scientist of the Year and UK Young Engineer of the Year were
crowned.
Visitors came from a diverse range of ethnic or socio-economic
backgrounds - and included those who had already engaged in
STEM, as well as many who had never considered a career in these
fields before.
The
National
Skills
Academy for Nuclear
exhibited within the
NWDA area on all 3 days
(11th-13th March).
The winner of the IPod
Touch
was
Fiona
Quarmby, who is in year 8
at Lytham St Ann’s High
School. Fiona said that she
had a great day and will
definitely be considering a
future in a science related
sector.
Fiona Quarmby centre receiving her prize from l-r
Julie Maykels and Jo Tipa from the Skills Academy
11
THE NUCLEAR ISLAND
The vision: to create a partnership between employers and
Higher Education Institutes to tackle the critical future
workforce needs of nuclear new build.
Project Partners
Through a partnership with Imperial College London, Cogent has
received funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering to scope
employer engagement for a Nuclear Island – a hands on New Build
experience for engineering students. Other key partners are the
National Skills Academy Nuclear, Construction Skills and ECITB.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Background
The prospect of replacing the current fleet of nuclear power stations
represents a multibillion pound private sector investment
programme, but one which is dependent on a highly skilled
workforce. Cogent’s report Power People confirmed that the nuclear
industry must ensure that that enough people, with the right skills,
are available to take up the posts that the new build renaissance
offers. It shows that the industry will require a thousand new
recruits every year if the current level of nuclear power generation
is to be maintained to 2025 and beyond.
In support of this, The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Report,
Engineering Graduates for Industry, re-iterates that “ industry wants
engineering graduates who have practical experience of real
industrial environments. Specifically, industry regards the ability to
apply theoretical knowledge to real industrial problems as the
single most desirable attribute in new recruits.”
Imperial College London
Cogent
National Skills Academy Nuclear
Construction Skills
ECITB
Royal Academy of Engineering
Constructionarium Ltd
Initial Employer Support
• AMEC
• Balfour Beatty
• Areva
• CECA
• Magnox North and South
• Westinghouse
• Nuclear Industry Association (NIA)
• Laing O’Rourke
It says that students need direct experience of industry integrated
within their degree course and those with industrial experience are
more likely to seek and find employment in engineering related jobs
on graduation; are more motivated for the remainder of their
course; are clearer about their future career options; and have
improved management, teamworking and communication skills.
Initial Higher Education support:
The Nuclear Island concept
The Nuclear Island would be a hands-on New Build experience for
students in engineering. They will be able to learn practically and
importantly establish working links with industry – their future
employers.
• Higher Education Academy
Engineering Subject Centre,
Loughborough University
The Nuclear Island would be underpinned by a collaboration of a
university, a contractor and consultant working in partnership to
deliver a new learning experience.
• Leeds University, Institute of
Particle Science and Engineering,
School of Process, Environmental &
Materials Engineering
The Nuclear Island aims to become an integral part of a number of
UK undergraduate courses, attracting and exposing students from
civil and nuclear engineering to the New Build sector. The students
would design and construct scaled down Nuclear Power Plant. They
would be assessed in relation to real-life skills such as radiation
protection, site licensing, budgetary control and project
management.
• University of Birmingham
• University of Manchester, Dalton
Nuclear Institute
12
RETURN TO INDUSTRY FOR TIM KNIGHT - REGIONAL MANAGER
FOR WALES
March was the final month with the Skills Academy for Tim Knight, who has
been the Regional Manager for Wales, since the Skills Academy gained
government approval in 2008.
Tim, who has been on secondment to the Skills Academy from Magnox North, has
now returned to his employer. Replacing Tim, are two new Regional Managers, Alli
Hunt and Jane Grant, both also on secondment from Magnox North.
Jean Llewellyn, Chief Executive of the Skills Academy said;
“ Tim has been an inspirational Regional Manager, and huge part of the team.
He has been an extremely important part of establishing the National Skills
Academy for Nuclear in Wales. All of the team wish Tim all the best for his
future in the Nuclear Industry.”
Introducing the new Regional Managers
Tim Knight, leaves the Skills
Academy to return to Magnox
North.
Alli Hunt
Alli is excited by the issues surrounding the skills of tomorrow's workforce, and by
researching different approaches and engaging with educational bodies is striving to
make a difference. Alli has written and presented papers for the American Nuclear
Society and European Nuclear conference raising awareness to the issues faced by
youngsters. She is striving to engage with appropriate bodies to address this.
Alli has 3 different roles with the main part as a job share in the National Skills
Academy for Nuclear. In this role as Regional Manager for Wales her main focus is on
the educational providers. This role supports Alli’s interest in skills and education. Alli
is also one of the Working Higher Industry Champions for Nuclear sharing this role
with our HE Manager, Martin Wells. This project is looking at Engineering Foundation
Degrees with other sectors through Cogent and funded by the HEFCE. The
Foundation Degree Engineering (Nuclear) curriculum delivery and content has Alli’s
attention here. Her final role is working for Magnox North Wylfa in the Learning and
Development department with a focus on education and sustainability.
Alli Hunt - Regional Manager for
Wales with a concentration on
Provision
Alli has successfully achieved Chartered Manager status and is a member of the CMI.
In her spare time she is studying for an MBA which she finds stimulating and
interesting. Alli explains that she has used the learning to enhance the work she does
especially with issues concerning the skills gap.
Jane Grant
Jane Grant works for both Magnox North at Wylfa Site as the Technical Assistant to
the Site Director and the National Skills Academy Nuclear as the Regional Manager,
Wales. Both roles enable Jane to focus on maximising the socio-economic benefit of
the nuclear industry in Wales and specifically of building highly skilled sustainable
communities. Working in both the operational industry and with key stakeholders
including employers, educational providers, supply chains, Welsh Assembly
Government and local councils Jane has a solid understanding of the strategic and
tactical challenges being faced by the industry and its locality.
Jane has a strong commercial background working in banking and finance for over 8
years followed by a career in project management and management consultancy.
Jane has an honours degree in Economic and French from Lancaster University and
is currently studying an Post Graduate ILM Level 7 in Strategic Leadership at the
Bangor University.
Jane Grant - Regional Manager
for Wales with a concentration
on Employers.
13
WELCOME TO OUR LATEST MEMBERS
EMPLOYER MEMBERS
Amatica are Business Process Improvement specialists - creating user friendly software applications for
secure and effective communication of information throughout industry.
Balfour Beatty and VINCI Construction are delighted to integrate their resources to meet the challenges
presented by the nuclear new build programme. VINCI Construction, which is part of VINCI, the world’s
leading concessions and construction group, and Balfour Beatty, the UK’s largest contractor, have an
unparalleled breadth and depth of experience in delivering projects safely and to the highest quality.
Cidon Construction. With proven expertise in all types of reinforced concrete and civil engineering works
across the building and civil engineering sectors. We at CIDON pride ourselves on our technical expertise
and ability to deliver even the most demanding project on time to the highest quality and safety standards.
Euro Dismantling Services Ltd specialises in highly complex sites for the chemical, pharmaceutical, food,
fuel & power generation industries, they acquire and/or decommission oil refineries, chemical process
structures, pharmaceutical production lines and contaminated land & buildings. Also carrying out
controlled explosive demolitions of multi storey office blocks and other structures on site.
Cape is an international leader in the provision of essential non-mechanical industrial services focused on
the energy and natural resources sectors.
The Costain Group is one of the UK's leading engineering/construction companies. We have a famous
heritage, a well defined culture with strong values and a strategy - 'Choosing Costain' - designed to ensure
a successful future.
Horizon Nuclear Power is a UK energy company developing a new generation of nuclear power stations.
A joint venture between E.ON UK and RWE npower, we plan to deliver around 6,000 MW of new nuclear
power station capacity in the UK by 2025. The programme is likely to involve more than £15bn of
investment.
Topspeed Couriers Limited specialises in the delivery by dedicated vehicles of urgent, time sensitive and
high value goods, including Dangerous Goods of Class 7 Radioactive and 6.2 Infectious Substances.
QUALITY ASSURED PROVIDER
EDETA Training Services Ltd. Edinburgh & District Employers’ Training Association Limited trainers attend
seminars and courses to attain accreditation to deliver the training currently in demand. The design and
delivery of our programmes are continually updated to incorporate any regulatory changes.
Sussex Coast College's Main Campus is at Archery Road. The new Station Plaza building in Hastings town
centre opened to learners in November 2009. Station Plaza enjoys the very best teaching and learning
spaces in the region, using the most up-to-date digital technologies.
West Suffolk College is a rural further education college with its main campus located in Out Risbygate
and Construction and Building Services at Anglian Lane, both within Bury St Edmunds. In addition, we serve
our rural community through Local Learning Centres in Haverhill, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Stowmarket and
Sudbury.
HE ASSOCIATE MEMBER
Aston Business School is committed to creating and transferring knowledge that enables, innovates and
inspires. 60 years of pioneering research and teaching has made the school internationally renowned,
whilst the warm community spirit has created a positive difference to the lives of all of our students, alumni,
businesses and organisations.
14
THE SKILLS ACADEMY ON TOUR!
The Skills Academy were given the
opportunity of a guided tour around
Trawsfynydd power station.
Jean Llewellyn said;
“ This was a really informative day for all
the team at the Skills Academy. The visit
included Ponds Scabbling, North FED,
Capping Roofs, and saw the relocation
of Boiler components in R2. Following
the site tour, we had a session from Fred
Brookes (Wylfa EHSSQ Manager) on the
role of the NII Inspector which really
helped the team to understand the
relationship between the regulator and
site.”
l-r Charlie Bray, Jane Grant, Tricia Austin, Steve Barrett, Alli Hunt, Julie Maykels, Tim Knight, Martin
Wells, Christine Hall, Jean Llewellyn, Ken Nicol, Nick Cusick, Roland Fletcher, Jo Tipa & Mary Kinsella.
The team would like to thank Debbie Jones for arranging the visit and the communications team who aided with
escorting us on the day.
WHAT DO THE NEXT GENERATION THINK ABOUT NUCLEAR?
To gain an insight into what the next generation
think about nuclear, the Skills Academy acquired
the help of Jake Fletcher, a Year 11 student from
Cockermouth School, who undertook a two week
work placement.
The challenge set for Jake was to devise, distribute
and collate a questionnaire amongst his year, and
report back to the Skills Academy with suggestions
on improving the careers section of its website.
The questionnaire was focussed on three key areas,
future energy needs, routes to employment and
skills for our future.
92 completed student questionnaires were
received from Cockermouth School. The results of
which are being used to inform changes to the
careers and schools sections on the Skills Academy
website. A synopsis of the report will be made
available in schools section once the changes have
been completed.
Jake Fletcher, Cockermouth School :
“I really enjoyed my work experience - it was a
challenge to review all the results and produce
the report on time, but it was really great to
have a project of my own to complete. ”
Pictured above (left to right) are: James Whelan and William Humphreys of
Cockermouth School, Roland Fletcher (Skills Academy), Jake Fletcher and
Phil Marshall of Cockermouth School and Lynn Brooks, Head of Year 11
Cockermouth School
Jean Llewellyn, CEO National Skills Academy for
Nuclear :
“I am really impressed with the response we
have received from students at Cockermouth
School. It’s great to able to capture young
people’s views in this way and hopefully we will
be able to use the output to help develop
stronger links between schools and industry.
Jake worked extremely well during his work
experience, and I think having ownership of his
own project has provided him with a great work
experience. I wish him well for the future.”
15
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you have any queries, or would like further
information, please contact us
T 01900 898120
E [email protected]
www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk