THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009
CAREERS IN
The Daily Telegraph
jobs.telegraph.co.uk
J 3
Nuclear Industry
The
Thursday, June 4, 2009 jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca
Produced byTelegraph Special Reports SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Under construction: a worker checks the dimensions of a pipe in a new nuclear power station
T
he age of new nuclear has arrived — along with a huge range of rewarding career opportunities. “Demand for professionals has been building for five years, but has increased tenfold in the past year alone. Where we were tiptoeing along before, now suddenly we can shout about it,” says Simon Turner, sales director at specialist nuclear agency Energy Recruitment Solutions. The civil nuclear industry currently employs around 45,000 highly skilled people throughout the UK and generates around £3.3 billion for the UK economy. But this is set to rise dramatically. The nuclear defence industry also employs tens of thousands of civilians, including contractors working as scientists, physicists, technicians, engineers and business support staff. A variety of factors have combined to create a renaissance for nuclear energy. “There is rising anxiety about the security of traditional fossil fuel supplies, and concern about climate change has
The nuclear industry is undergoing a renaissance, which means it promises exciting career prospects for skilled professionals. Thea Jourdan explores the potential of this dynamic sector also transformed political opinion,” says Keith Parker, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association. Formerly considered polluting and hazardous, nuclear power is now seen as the “better” option for the environment. According to a recent MORI poll, 65 per cent of the British public thinks it should form part of a balanced energy mix for the future. Plans are already under way to build a new generation of cleaner, greener, “third generation” nuclear power stations, the first due to come on stream in 2017. There is also a massive industry in decommissioning, both ageing power plants and nuclear submarines at the end of their working lives. Nine of our 10 nuclear power stations are due to close over the next 20 years. Billions of pounds will be spent, and tens of thousands of jobs are to be created. Nuclear remains firmly on the agenda when it comes to national defence, too. The Government decided to renew the Trident missile system in March 2007 and has invested billions in updating its fleet of nuclear submarines. Engine-maker Rolls-Royce is one company bridging the civil/ defence divide. Already using its expertise to help power Britain’s nuclear submarines, it has set up a new unit to help build nuclear power stations. Another major nuclear employer is the Atomic W eapons Establishment (AWE), owned by the MoD but managed by a consortium of private contractors comprising Lockheed Martin, Jacobs Engineering Group and Serco. Responsible for the safe production and maintenance of Britain’s nuclear warheads, AWE has a highly skilled workforce of 4,800. Applicants can expect to work in a dynamic environment at the cutting edge of nuclear technology. AWE’s plasma physics department has replicated in the laboratory the physical conditions at the heart of a nuclear detonation, helping to make the need for underground testing redundant. For IT boffins, the company has some of the most advanced supercomputers in the world. Jobs are also available in support functions, such as HR, finance, security, quality, environmental management, safety and health, while AWE’s graduate programme and awardwinning apprenticeships train hundreds of people each year. With a skills shortage across the nuclear sector, a range of measures is in place to encourage people to enter the profession. “This sector can literally offer you a job for life,” says Parker. “When we think about building, managing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants, we are looking at a time scale of several generations.” Efforts to spread the word about career prospects start at secondary school level. The National Skills Academy for Nuclear oversees a successful apprenticeship scheme, and physics experts from AWE support an initiative that urges GCSE students to think about science as a career. “AWE is keen to encourage students and graduates to undertake a wide variety of science, engineering and technology disciplines,” says Paul Sagoo, events and communications manager from AWE’s Directorate of Research and Applied Science. “These include plasma physics and systems engineering, information on which can be accessed through the company’s highly acclaimed Schools Liaison and graduate recruitment schemes.” At postgraduate level, people with science degrees can study
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for a masters and/or a doctorate at colleges ranging from Manchester University to Imperial College London. These high-fliers are in high demand. “Many are being offered jobs before starting their course,” says Dr Andy Clarke, manager of nuclear postgraduate programmes at the Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester. Professionals already in the sector can also take modules in 22 separate subjects as part of their continuing development. “This is an excellent way for experienced people to continue working while expanding their knowledge base,” adds Dr Clarke. Nuclear is truly international, so careers can take you anywhere in the world. “The nuclear revival is a global phenomenon,” says Parker. “The sector is stable, longterm and stimulating, and right at the heart of public debate. It’s where people with talent and ability can really make their mark.” JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insider
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 CAREERS IN The Daily Telegraph jobs.telegraph.co.uk J 3 Nuclear Industry The Thursday, June 4, 2009 jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca Produced byTelegraph Special Reports SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Under construction: a worker checks the dimensions of a pipe in
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