Exciting Opportunities In The Nuclear Industry

17th November 2024

Sellafield Ltd attended a recent New Statesman Regional Development event to showcase its education outreach and early careers programmes.

‘The role of skills to boost productivity and support regional economies' was one of the main panel discussions at a recent New Statesman Regional Development event that included Sellafield Ltd's Head of Education, Skills & Social Mobility Michelle Lambon-Wilks.

Michelle highlighted that we have a big story to tell when it comes to skills, explaining that, "Sellafield Ltd is no ordinary place to work, It's a place where everyone can build their career, develop their skills, and deliver world-first, cutting-edge projects.

As a major employer in the North West, we continue to invest in the talent pipeline in our communities. This year for example we have recruited our largest ever intake of trainees including over 140 Graduates, 127 Degree Apprentices and 158 Apprentices, and the applications are now open for our 2025 cohorts, for similar numbers.

However recruiting certain disciplines isn't easy, and we’ve observed that starting the conversation with learners at the age of 16 is too late. Even when learners are in Year 8, before they make their GCSE choices which influence their careers options, it can be too late.

We’ve realised that we need to engage earlier, to challenge stereotypes and explain that STEM jobs can be exciting and offer amazing opportunities in the nuclear sector and beyond.

Michelle said, "We need to ensure that learners have what is needed for their next best step and are able to make informed decisions at each point on their learner journey - GCSE choices, then A-levels, T-levels or Apprenticeship programmes.

Through our Education Outreach and Social Impact programmes, and our dedicated employee and supply chain volunteers, we are assisting learners in achieving higher attainment.

Together, we support a variety of programmes, including STEM Activity workshops and careers fayres, which bring people from businesses into primary schools. These activities not only bring learning to life but also demonstrate its practical application in the workplace.

Meanwhile, Sellafield Ltd’s Engineering Centre of Excellence (ECoE) contributed over 1000 hours of outreach support through open days, curriculum guidance and school visits last year.

Sellafield Ltd is part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group, and there are numerous opportunities to progress in a career across the group, with 900 different role types in various locations across the United Kingdom.

Michelle added "I encourage any young person to look into a career in the nuclear industry. We recruit and train a whole range of disciplines that are transferrable across the industry and beyond.

Visit Sellafield and NDA Group careers websites for further details