THE CAREERS AND HIGHER EDUCATION MAGAZINE FROM THE INSPIRING FUTURES FOUNDATION
Go Nuclear
There can’t be many kids, who when asked the question ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ answer ‘I want to work at a nuclear power station.’ And can you blame them? How many famous nuclear power workers do you know? There's Homer Simpson of course, but all he does is scoff doughnuts and press the wrong buttons. Funny yes, but he's not exactly what you'd call a role model...

And don't you have to wear sci-fi style suits to avoid developing a strange green Ready Brek glow? Or worse, live in fear of a terrible explosion?

According to research done by Cogent Sector Skills Council, these are just some of the misconceptions that people have about the nuclear industry. If you knew the truth, you might well be applying for jobs in this sector in droves, because, did you know....

1500 new recruits a year are needed by the industry. That’s good news in today’s current economic climate where job cuts seem to be across the board.

And there’s more…

The nuclear industry has around 56,000 employees in the UK.

Nuclear has got an exciting future and there is a range of roles on offer.

Nuclear power is one of the ‘low carbon energy’ sources that the government is investing in.

Safety - despite its reputation, nuclear has one of the best safety records going.

More info -

  • the UK’s nuclear industry provides the country with 20 per cent of its electricity via the National Grid
  • nuclear energy is based on uranium
  • the UK has managed its radioactive waste safely for more than 50 years
  • 20 older nuclear stations are currently in the process of being decommissioned
  • the nuclear industry provides all the power for the Royal Navy’s submarines

Qualifications

The nuclear industry needs people like you and to get in you need science, engineering and technology qualifications

Jobs

Cogent Sector Skills Council has a dedicated website www.cogent-careers.com which outlines all the roles available in the industry.


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If you joined, you could start out as an operations support worker, carrying out checks and applying safety rules. You could then end up as site director - overseeing everything. For the entry roles, you need good GCSEs / Standards and higher up the ladder; you’ll need a degree in engineering or science. For the most senior jobs, you’ll need to be a qualified chartered engineer or scientist.


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Your idea of working in the Nuclear Industry?

Some of the jobs available:

Operations Support Worker

Part of the operations team that ensures targets are met safely and efficiently. There is the opportunity to train and develop.

Entry Requirements = 4 GCSEs A-C or standard grade credits, or equivalent plus experience of working in a production environment.


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Technician - Production & Maintenance

Work in plants involves fault analysis, repair, maintenance of equipment, and installation of new equipment. Supporting production engineers and plant mangers. Technicians can also work in process development, design, construction and operations.

Entry requirements = Normally through an Advanced Apprenticeship programme which includes a national certificate in an engineering discipline plus an S/NVQ Level 3.

To be accepted for Advanced Apprenticeship you need five A-C grade GCSEs or standard grade credits (inc English, maths and science) or equivalent.


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Scientist Engineer

Various roles ranging from studying plant performance to making recommendations for process or plant improvements.

Entry Requirements = Degree in a science or engineering discipline.

Case Study

Technical Assistant Katie Maxwell is based at the National Nuclear Central Laboratory in Sellafield and recently won the Nuclear Apprentice of the Year Award 2009.

Her job involves making improvements to site vitrification operations, which is the process of converting waste liquids into a gas form. She also works to make sure laboratory facilities are safe and maintains a local chemical database.

She has her NVQ Levels 2 and 3 and is currently in the second year of an HNC course in chemistry. She has been on several NNL courses and intends to take a chemistry degree.

“I thoroughly enjoy the work I’m conducting and it’s a great time to be involved in research work at the National Nuclear Laboratory,” says Katie.

Graduate Schemes and Apprenticeships

To find out more, visit: http://www.nda.gov.uk/news/calling-nuclear-graduates.cfm