Decommissioning

Clive Smith, Skills Director for Nuclear at Cogent (Sector Skills Council for Chemicals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers) speaks to Katherine Steiner-Dicks on how those already in nuclear, and those eager to enter it, can enhance their skills to take advantage of the latest career and job opportunities. Both decommissioning and new build have a long-term future, he says.

KSD: How is existing nuclear talent being utilised on the decommissioning side? Which areas in decommissioning are lacking the most skills?

CS: Many of the sites have been in decommissioning for a long period, so their workforce is trained and experienced in the tasks necessary to decommission and restore their sites. However, the decommissioning process is, by its nature, an ever changing picture, so new skills are always needed and people need to reskill.

The most recent Labour Market Intelligence of the nuclear industry undertaken by Cogent Sector Skills Council  (http://www.cogent-ssc.com/research/nuclearresearch.php) points to gaps into the future if no recruitment action is taken, but the prospect of a new nuclear build programme is attracting new talent into the nuclear industry and onto courses.

KSD: How are energy companies, the government and Cogent helping to get candidates the skills they require?

CS: Cogent Sector Skills Council, as an employer-led body, is working closely with the industry, the National Skills academy for Nuclear, the Nuclear Industry Association, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Government Departments to provide comprehensive Labour Market Intelligence; industry-wide standards and qualifications, which cover all jobs in the sector and training frameworks to ensure high quality, standardised training.

All of this work is to ensure that companies have the nuclear-specific tools necessary to provide their employees with the skills necessary for their roles. The National Skills Academy for Nuclear is also promoting and assisting the industry, their Nuclear Skills Passport and assured training provider network will enable employers and employees to have quality assured training and proven transferable skills.

The Nuclear Skills Passport will provide all employees and contractors within the nuclear sector, including those from large employers and SMEs, with a physical record of their industry specific training and qualifications that meet the agreed Cogent developed sector standards. http://www.nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk/

This work is conducted across the skills pyramid from Higher Education, Further Education Colleges, and Vocational Training Providers through to schools. Examples of these include:

Cogent, which is working with Higher Education Institutions, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear and Industry and The Working Higher Project to develop a Foundation Degree Framework.

A new award for Nuclear Industry Awareness has been designed by Cogent and the Skills Academy with industry involvement to provide people who are embarking on a career in the nuclear sector, including apprentices, graduates, people transferring to the nuclear sector and non- nuclear personnel, with a foundation level of understanding of the industry and its specific requirements.

The Award will also be of benefit to those in the industry who wish to have a broader awareness and wish to gain recognition of their knowledge of the nuclear sector.

To promote and attract people into the sector, Cogent has developed a flagship career pathways website, which is promoted to schools and careers advisors, which shows all the careers in the nuclear industry, qualifications needed, and salaries www.cogent-careers.com.

In addition to this online resource, Cogent works with STEM groups and Government Departments to rationalise STEM projects and increase the uptake of STEM subjects by students. The National Skills Academy for Nuclear sponsors a Nuclear STEM Ambassador scheme to provide up to date industry experience into schools and colleges.

The Energy Foresight programme, currently sponsored by the Skills Academy and supported by Cogent, provides teacher training and teaching materials for the GCSE School science curriculum and raises awareness about career opportunities in the nuclear industry, including the decommissioning and waste management sectors. http://www.energyforesight.org/

KSD: What incentives are there for companies to join the decommissioning sector?

CS: The decommissioning sector, in common with the whole of the nuclear industry, provides exciting challenges and is one of the few sectors that has an assured long term future. Many of the tasks associated with the decommissioning process are unique to a site or plant, providing opportunities for a wide range of engineering, scientific, technological or environmental solutions, where people have the ability to stretch and refine their talents. This benefits not only the individuals, but also their companies.