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jobs.telegraph.co.uk
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
CAREERS IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY NEW RECRUITS
The Daily Telegraph
The field of nuclear energy is expanding fast and is full of opportunities. Adam Ramsay meets a graduate and an awardwinning apprentice who have found jobs packed with interest
F reactors ast go nuclear
Melting point: the concrete-domed reactor at Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk, capable of pumping out 1,188MW of electricity
COURSES LANCASTER UNIVERSITY The course MEng in Nuclear Engineering. The course trains new engineers to design and decommission nuclear engineering systems. Requirements ABB A-levels, including maths. Class size Around 10 per year. Funding Nuclear Institute and Lancaster University engineering department’s ”Scholarship for Life”. Where can I go next? “The course is an ideal basis for careers in the nuclear engineering, power, decommissioning or medical sectors,” says Professor Malcolm Joyce, head of engineering. www.lancs.ac.uk BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY The course MSc in Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors. Students work with industry bodies to understand how nuclear can help with energy issues. Requirements 2:2 or above in physical sciences, engineering or mathematics. Class size 40 students this year. Funding Some industry support. Where can I go next? “The course is focused on the nuclear industry and we have great support from companies,” says Dr Paul Norman, head of physics and technology of nuclear reactors. “In the past two years, about 65 per cent of students found jobs before they finished.” www.bham.ac.uk
MARK SALISBURY, 29 TRAINEE REACTOR OPERATOR AT BRITISH ENERGY’S SIZEWELL B NUCLEAR PLANT Mark got his first glimpse of work in the nuclear sector while still at school, when he took an industry placement in chemistry and technical solutions with Magnox Electric Limited, at their nuclear services laboratory. “At school I really enjoyed physics and chemistry, and working at the Magnox labs was a real eye-opener. Although I wasn’t working in the nuclear power station itself, it was right next door. “It was during this placement, in 1998 to 1999, that I first walked out onto a nuclear
platform and saw the massive turbine hall that is about the size of two football pitches. The scale of it really hooked me in.” Mark then took a degree in chemistry at the University of Warwick, specialising in industrial and environmental chemistry,
before joining what was then Powergen in 2002 on a twoyear graduate scheme. In 2004, he got a chemistry job at British Energy’s Sizewell B nuclear power station, on the East Anglian coast. The station is capable of powering more than 1.5 million homes — equivalent to the domestic needs of Suffolk and Norfolk. “Over the past 18 months I’ve been doing structured training with the goal of working as a reactor operator, with lectures in reactor physics, metallurgy and on-the-job training, as well as working in a simulator that mirrors the reactor control room. “It’s very thorough and challenging, but then we aren’t being trained to operate a toaster.”
KATIE MAXWELL, 19
TECHNICAL ASSISTANT AT THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR LABORATORY IN SELLAFIELD Katie started work in the nuclear industry in 2006 when she was only 17. Through a company called GEN II, which provides apprenticeships and training schemes in nuclear and developing engineering technologies, she gained a placement at the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL),
which researches and advises on nuclear issues. This year she won the Nuclear Apprenticeship of the Year Award from the National Skills Academy. “I receive training while I work,” she says. ”So I’m gaining both experience and qualifications.” Katie has finished her NVQ levels 2 and 3, and takes one day out a week for her chemistry Higher National Certificate (HNC). The rest of the time she is an employee of the NNL. “My work varies: at present
I am in the technical team, keeping labs safe and maintaining a chemical database. Sometimes I am lent out to teams doing experiments.” Katie plans to start a chemistry degree at Northumbria University to widen her options. “I can’t imagine myself leaving the NNL as I have great support here, and with new reactors coming on, it’s an exciting time. In future I hope to manage my own lab, or join the analytical team, doing my own experiments.”
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY The course MSc in Systems Engineering for Defence Capability. This includes a module in nuclear warhead engineering developed with the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). Requirements 2:1 or above in an appropriate subject, or appropriate experience in a senior position. Class size 20 students or fewer. Funding Industry or government. UK and EU nationals can also seek funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Where can I go next? “The course focuses on systems engineering of complex systems,” says Professor John Hetherington, head of engineering systems and management. “It suits people going on to senior management or procurement roles in the defence industry or MoD, or other industries. www.cranfield.ac.uk
NUCLEAR DEFENCE All over the world, defence strategies now depend on nuclear capability. Here are 10 key facts...
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JOHN COCKROFT AND ERNEST WALTON WERE THE FIRST TO SPLIT THE NUCLEUS OF THE ATOM UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS, IN CAMBRIDGE IN 1932. IN
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DOING SO THEY VALIDATED EINSTEIN’S FORMULA E=MC 2 . J ROBERT OPPENHEIMER IS KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF THE ATOM BOMB, FOR HIS WORK
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DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS DURING WORLD WAR II. THE FIRST NUCLEAR WEAPON TEST — OF THE PLUTONIUM BOMB — TOOK PLACE IN
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NEW MEXICO IN 1945. THE UNITED STATES BECAME THE FIRST COUNTRY TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS WHEN IT DROPPED ATOM BOMBS
ON HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, IN JAPAN, IN AUGUST 1945. IN 1950, THE UK FIRST PRODUCED PLUTONIUM AND TWO YEARS LATER TESTED
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ITS FIRST ATOMIC DEVICE IN AUSTRALIA. EIGHT COUNTRIES HAVE EITHER DECLARED THEY HAVE, OR ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE, NUCLEAR
WEAPONS: THE UK, THE US, CHINA, RUSSIA, FRANCE, INDIA, PAKISTAN AND ISRAEL. SOUTH AFRICA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY TO HAVE DISMANTLED
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ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE UK OWNS A MISSILE SYSTEM KNOWN AS TRIDENT, WITH MISSILES LAUNCHED FROM NUCLEAR
POWERED SUBMARINES. FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THE ATOMIC WEAPONS ESTABLISHMENT (AWE) HAS PRODUCED AND MAINTAINED WARHEADS
FOR THE UK’S NUCLEAR DETERRENT. A TOTAL OF 187 PARTIES HAVE SIGNED THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY.
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND SAFETY OPPORTUNITIES ABS Consulting is a leading engineering and risk business and due to continued growth, we are now looking for individuals with experience in the following disciplines for our UK operations: Nuclear Safety Case Practitioners from initial hazard identification to safety case implementation; Nuclear Engineers from all disciplines with the following experience: • Engineering substantiation and design; • Use of structural analysis tools (eg STAAD, ANSYS, and ABAQUS) • Assessment of extreme loads/impacts/blast Project management and support professionals for site based engineering programmes; Safety Case and Reliability experience in nuclear / defence or oil and gas projects;
Suitably qualified candidates, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, from all levels of experience are invited to apply for these positions. In return we reward our high calibre professionals with a competitive remuneration and benefits package, plus excellent career development opportunities. Please send full CV and covering letter indicating salary expectations, to Christine Appleby, Human Resources Manager, ABS Consulting, EQE House, The Beacons, Warrington Road, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6WJ or email: cappleby@absconsulting.
Electrical Engineering Manager Channel Islands Our client Alderney Electricity Limited is a well established utility Company generating and distributing electricity within Alderney, one of the Channel Islands. The operation plays a critical role in Island life, ensuring all residents and businesses have electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a result of continued growth and substantial investment, the Company is seeking to recruit an experienced Electrical Engineering Manager to take overall command of all engineering aspects of the power station and the distribution network as well as managing future improvements and upgrades. The ideal candidate will be a skilled Electrical Engineer with proven experience in both MV power generation and distribution with good people management skills and have the knowledge and gravitas to make critical business decisions. In return, this person will be given overall responsibility, an excellent remuneration package and the opportunity to live in a fantastic location. If you have the necessary technical experience and would like to benefit from a better quality of life without sacrificing your family or your career, then please apply with CV and salary details to Rebecca Ross, Director, Oryx Executive Search, 128 St Georges Road, Bristol, BS7 8LQ Email r.ross@oryxes.co.uk
www.oryxexecutivesearch
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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