NIA's 2026 Jobs Map

Jobs in the South West have increased by 163.6% since 2021, from 12,934 to 34,084 jobs. Hinkley Point C has been a key driver of growth.

Construction supports the employment of 26,000 people across England, Scotland and Wales, with around 13,000 people working on site.

Case study: Building a Career from Apprentice to Manager at Hinkley Point C 

Isabella Noble started her career at Hinkley Point C as a Business Administration Apprentice. Through hands-on experience, training, and further study, she has risen quickly, earning the title of Digital Project Manager.

Isabella Noble, Digital Project Manager, Hinkley Point C, said: 

“Being part of a major infrastructure project like Hinkley Point C allows me to contribute to the country’s clean energy goals while helping deliver technology that supports thousands of people on site. The knowledge and qualifications I gain are not only valuable within the nuclear industry but are also highly transferable across many other sectors, helping me build a strong and versatile career.”

At peak construction, the project will create around 17,000 direct and indirect jobs, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the UK.

The project will also create 1,500 apprenticeships, with 540 for people in its host county of Suffolk.

Case study: A career you “can’t imagine getting anywhere else”

Dr Rebecca Quigg’s secondment to Sizewell C has brought her “genuine joy, even on the hardest days.” As the Associate Transport Co-ordinator, she manages a busy mixture of reporting and compliance to meet complex obligations and requirements, from freight movements to parish council support.

Dr Rebecca Quigg, Associate Transport Co-ordinator, WSP, on secondment to Sizewell C, said: 

“I knew nothing about nuclear, having come from a background in community and stakeholder collaboration around transport. The complexity of the jigsaw puzzle intrigued me: how do you bring in the people and the materials to a site like Sizewell C efficiently, responsibly, and with empathy? I wanted to support that process and the areas that sit outside the traditional assumptions of what ‘nuclear’ means.

“Nuclear doesn’t just mean nuclear engineers. It means opportunities for a vast number of people with different skill sets and approaches. New nuclear investment creates jobs for almost every sector I can think of, at every qualification level. That’s truly extraordinary to me.”

6,416 high-skilled, high-paid jobs have been created in the North West’s civil nuclear industry over the past five years, driving a 26.7% increase in employment to 30,445 jobs in 2026.

The North West is home to a diverse nuclear industry that spans the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear generation and decommissioning, playing a critical role in maintaining the UK’s energy security.  

Case study: “Second to none” training at Sellafield, West Cumbria

William Graham is a first-year Firefighter Apprentice for Sellafield Ltd, the UK’s biggest nuclear site supporting 11,726 jobs in the North West. The nuclear industry offers him “second to none” training and the “chance to develop skills and experience that I don’t think I would get anywhere else.”

William Graham, first-year firefighter apprentice, Sellafield Ltd, said:

“It’s a really exciting time to be in nuclear. We have 100 years of work here at Sellafield, so we’ll be creating jobs and opportunities for decades to come.

“The biggest benefit the nuclear industry has brought to my local community is opportunity. It has created skilled jobs and careers that might not otherwise be available in West Cumbria, as well as the apprenticeships and training needed to access them.”

It is critical that the UK Government implements reforms of nuclear regulation in full to unlock further growth and job creation while cutting the cost and schedule of new nuclear projects.

Write to your MP/MSP/MS sharing what nuclear delivers to your business and community.

Read our guide, ‘How to write to your MP’, written by the NIA’s Head of Public Affairs, Millie Beaver.