Sir Ashley Fox, MP for Bridgwater, attended the Nuclear Industry Association’s ‘Nuclear Week in Parliament’ (NWIP), showing his support for the industry and engaging with young people at the start of an exciting career in the sector.
Sir Ashley attended events hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group where he was able to hear about progress on its nationally important mission.
The NDA group are tasked with safely and securely decommissioning the nation’s oldest nuclear sites. It’s one of the most important environmental programmes in the world, removing the burden for future generations.
At the NWIP Skills and Apprenticeship Fair, Ashley met his constituent Katie Pitts, an Electrical Nuclear Technician Apprentice at Nuclear Restoration Services, who explained first-hand the vital work the NDA group are doing on the ground.
“My apprenticeship in electrical engineering has given me the ability to work with various teams on site at Hinkley Point A, gaining a wide range of experiences. It is a very interesting site to work on due to it being in the decommissioning stage, and all the opportunities that come with it.”
There are currently more than 1,500 apprentices and graduates across NDA group early careers schemes and hundreds of PhD students and post-doctoral researchers have been sponsored, focusing on developing advanced skills.
Ashley said: “Investment in skills and training opportunities is essential to addressing the economic challenges we face. It enables individuals at every stage of their lives to learn, retrain, and advance in their careers.
“I was delighted to meet my constituent Katie, an Electrical Nuclear Technician Apprentice at Hinkley Point A, who shared her experiences with the opportunities in decommissioning. The investment from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in early careers is providing young people like Katie the chance to earn while they learn, thereby delivering the skills our country needs to thrive.”
The NDA group’s work will last for well over a hundred years so developing a pipeline of future talent is an essential part of delivering this nationally important mission long into the future.
To find out more about a career within the NDA, including graduate and apprenticeships opportunities, visit: Working for NDA - Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), ndagroupgraduates.co.uk, energus.co.uk/skills-training/apprenticeships/.
