When Amy Scone, 38, signed up for one of Bylor’s lifting apprenticeships she didn’t even know if she liked heights.

Now she can regularly be seen 40 metres above ground, getting in the 1,000 hours on the tower cranes she needs to get her ‘blue card’ qualification.

Amy, who lives locally, was previously cleaning the HPC Park and Ride sites. Looking for something “a little bit different” she got chatting to members of the Bylor lifting team during a recruitment drive at the Somerset Energy Innovation Centre.

Now, six months into her 18-month apprenticeship, Amy has already progressed to her role as Relief Driver and does a couple of climbs a day up tower cranes on site. The next step is to operate her own!

“I’m happy because I’ve got skills that I’d never have got before. I can stand out from the crowd and I’m proud to say what I do. My husband works as Logistics Supervisor for Bylor. I say to the kids, ‘Daddy does the paperwork for the power station but Mummy’s building it!”

Coming from a leisure management background, 24-year-old Richmond wasn’t sure he’d be a suitable candidate for a role on the HPC project.

However, after engaging with the HPC Jobs Service, he soon found himself on an Electro Technical Apprenticeship with Bylor.

“I moved to Cumbria in 2013 and started an electrical course at college. But being on my own it wasn’t feasible to continue, so I left to find a paying job and ended up in the leisure industry. After six years, I need a new challenge and heard about the HPC project through a friend. I handed in my notice, got my CSCS card and applied for as many roles as possible.

“When I found out I’d been shortlisted for an electrical apprenticeship, I was quite hesitant, but then I realised I’d be stupid not to take up the opportunity! And now I’m working on a project like no other, getting paid to learn and working with a really great team!”

Having a career in nuclear is really exciting because of the variety of work, challenges and innovation that I get to witness and be involved with – making a real difference.

“I joined the nuclear industry in 2015 when I started as a Higher Engineering Apprentice at Springfields. Alongside my apprenticeship, I completed an HNC and progressed on to achieve a First Class Bachelor’s Degree in Mechatronics Engineering. I have recently been recognised at the 2020 UK Nuclear Skills Awards event where I won Engineering Apprentice of the Year and the overall UK Nuclear Apprenticeship of the Year. Gaining both practical and academic experience through my apprenticeship set me up for my future career.

“My current role is within the site’s Product Design Group where I work in the Supplier Routes & Process Materials team. We are responsible for defining the technical requirements for materials and components used in the manufacture of AGR fuel and ensuring the quality of products delivered by 18 suppliers across the UK and Europe. The team is responsible for assessing changes to the design and manufacturing routes of these products.”

Garth Young is a shining example of how an apprenticeship can kick start your career. Garth started his journey at HPC in 2014 as a steel fixing apprentice and is now a construction manager, overseeing a team of more than 100 people.

Following successful completion of his steel fixing apprenticeship, Garth joined the Bylor team as a qualified steel fixer in 2016. Just one year later Garth was promoted to the role of steel fixing supervisor at HPC in recognition of his expertise and dedication to high-quality steel fixing on site.

Garth again climbed the career ladder in December 2019 when he was promoted to the role of construction manager for Bylor’s prefabrication yard, managing a team of over 100 people, including steel fixers, carpenters, drivers and crane crew.

“I was living with my parents near Bridgwater and working in a factory. I saw an advert for an apprenticeship at HPC to become a steel fixer and I thought it would be a good opportunity.

“I’m so glad that I applied for the apprenticeship programme. The HPC project offers lots of opportunities to learn and develop your skills. My journey with Bylor has been a great stepping stone and I’m grateful to have been supported by my employer to progress onto a management role.”

Cassie leads the Technical Workstream of the UK Alpha Resilience and Capability programme (ARC) which provides funding for projects, secondments and bursaries to build alpha related skills and capabilities to provide benefits across the UK nuclear industry.

“Following a degree in astrophysics at the University of St Andrews I joined the nuclear industry as part of NNL’s nuclear physics team at Sellafield. From there my career has evolved through a wide range of technical and management experiences, from projects modelling cosmic muons at Glasgow University to a secondment tracking environmental isotopes at Thorp, from managing a team of nuclear chemists to leading NNL’s internal R&D programme.

“One of my most formative opportunities was a placement supporting NNL’s Executive and Board which offered a fascinating view into NNL’s unique challenges as both a national lab and commercial entity. It also gave me an appreciation of the broader challenges facing our industry and the huge impact that can be made through collaboration. This range of roles and perspectives, paired with an enthusiasm for the incredible technical capability of the UK industry, has given me a particular interest in the delivery of strategic science projects.

“My current role in the Alpha Resistance and Capability Programme is a great example. We support the development of alpha skills crucial to the development of the UK’s nuclear industry. I lead ARC’s Technical Workstream which offers funding to support technical projects secondments and travel bursaries which help build alpha-related skills to benefit the whole industry.”

If you’d like to learn more visit https://www.nnl.co.uk/innovation-science-and-technology/collaborations/alpha-resilience-and-capability.

Westinghouse Electric Company is the world’s leading supplier of safe and innovative nuclear technology. The fuel manufactured at Springfields, in Lancashire, produces over 32% of the UK’s low carbon electricity – contributing towards the UK’s Net Zero by 2050 targets.

“I started my career in the Nuclear Industry as a Mechanical Maintenance Apprentice at Westinghouse’s Springfields site. After obtaining the title of ‘Apprentice of the Year’ and later achieving a First Class Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical and Production Engineering it enabled me to gain a promotion to the Product Design Group where I provided technical support to the Oxide Fuels Complex and the associated Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) supply chain. I then proceeded to study a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management and I am now working towards gaining the status of Chartered Engineer (CEng).

“My current role is working in the AGR supply chain as a Supplier Manager where I manage the contracts for four companies across the UK and Europe. I am accountable for their performance and I am required to carry out regular surveillance visits to ensure they perform to the expectations required from the Nuclear Industry. I am also delighted to be involved in the PMO for the Nuclear Sector Deal to help deliver the UK’s commitment of Net Zero by 2050.”

Katy carries out research and development work, forensic analysis and inspections on nuclear reactor components. This work supports the safety case and is crucial to extending the life of reactors that provide nearly 20% of the UK’s electricity.

Katy is a member of Jacobs’ Applied Chemistry and Materials team, which carries out research and development work, forensic analysis and inspections related to CO oxidation of steel components in the UK’s advanced gas-cooled (AGR) reactors. This involves experimental replication of the conditions inside reactors – pressures of more than 40 Bar and temperatures of up to 600 °C. During reactor outages, Katy and her colleagues visit the stations to carry out inspections, working as a joint team with their counterparts from operators EDF. The reactors cannot resume power generation unless Katy and her team are satisfied that the components they have inspected are safe.

“Although our work is always focused on the same overall objective – the safe operation of the AGR stations – there is always something new going on. I have travelled to all but two of the stations, so you get to experience different work environments. It’s good to know that you are helping to keep the industry safe.”

Andrea works with a team of Business Development and Marketing/Social Impact professionals to progress business opportunities and strategic partnerships for Orano in the UK. They work to bring value and solutions for Orano’s UK clients, to raise awareness of its capabilities and to engage in activities which support the communities where it operates.

As a Business Development Director, Andrea’s role is to look at the UK nuclear sector landscape and, along with her team, prioritise how Orano can best support the sector and the challenges its customers face. Orano is a large global organisation with significant expertise and capabilities across the nuclear lifecycle.

“Every day I learn something new about our capabilities, our experts and our technologies. My job is to make sure our customers also understand the full value we can bring to them. No two days are the same! A typical week for me can include meetings with clients or potential partners, supporting or reviewing the development of a bid or a value proposition for a client, working with colleagues on internal strategic business reviews, discussing our marketing or social impact activities!

“When I joined the nuclear sector I honestly thought I would only stay in the sector for a year or two, I didn’t really believe that the sector could offer me (as a non-technical graduate) a long term and varied career. That thought was 30 years ago and I’m pleased to say I was wrong! The sector has offered me so many professional and personal development opportunities which have included a variety of business and operational management roles within a number of amazing global nuclear organisations. The various roles I have held have given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many clients and partners from all over the world as well as the opportunity to be based overseas for several years.

“The sector has offered me so much more than I could have imagined 30 years ago! I would definitely encourage school leavers, graduates and anyone looking for career change to seriously consider joining the nuclear sector. Our sector is effectively a business eco-system with many different types of entities all of which need a diverse set of skills, academic backgrounds and perspectives.  You don’t have to have a technical degree or background to have a long-term, rewarding career in the nuclear sector.”

Matthew helps Orano’s clients to ensure the safety of their operations by identifying and analysing potential hazards in order to determine the most effective means of managing any risks.

All nuclear facilities are required by law to demonstrate that they have reduced the risk of their operations to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). They do this by developing a safety case which presents a structured argument that all of the hazards associated with their processes are known, understood and properly managed.

“My work involves performing the safety analysis that forms the basis of the safety case. I identify hazards using a variety of techniques in collaboration with key engineers and specialists. I then categorise the hazards according to their frequency and unmitigated consequences to determine the number and quality of safety measures that are needed to protect or mitigate against the fault. The remainder of the job is then to work with my team to develop the most effective safety systems we can.”

Chris started with KAEFER in February 2010 as the SCR Access Manager on Ratcliffe Power Station, a successful 5 year project. He went on to work on Kingsnorth demolition, Victoria station, Ferrybridge FM2 Waste to energy plant and is now Scaffold Manager KAEFER at Hinkley Point C.

“I started scaffold labouring at 16 in 1982. I got a place at Bircham Newton civil engineering and I had to find a sponsor so started with one of the big players at the time GKN Mills. They gave me a 3 year apprenticeship – one year at college, 2 years on site and at the end of it had my advanced scaffold card.

“I then worked for various companies, was a Chargehand by 1993, Foreman 1995 and Power station scaffold Site Manager by 1997.”

Shannon started working on Hinkley Point C in December 2019 and was placed within KAEFER’s Access & Scaffold team, which has given her the opportunity to learn about scaffolding from her experienced teammates.

Now Shannon’s completed the first part of her Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) training, and she enjoys the chance to combine learning on the job with achieving her formal qualifications.

“I’ve always liked working with my hands and it’s great to be able to turn my strengths into a solid career prospect. I even enjoy the paperwork, which I didn’t used to think was for me, but now I can see that it’s helping me learn my trade.

“HPC is such a huge Project – everyone knows it and is intrigued by it. It’s great to work with the same team, but in different locations on Site. The Project is always growing and always changing, which means we encounter a range of different obstacles to overcome and I’m learning a lot from my experienced colleagues.

“Another thing I love about learning a practical trade is the feeling that I can be a role model for other women who may want to get into the industry but might not otherwise have known where to start.”

National Nuclear Laboratory is the UK’s focal point for fission research. Its scientists and technologists are working at the forefront of nuclear innovation to address the challenges and harness the opportunities across the industry.

“I joined the nuclear industry in 2017. I was looking for apprenticeships and found out about opportunities at NNL to train as a CE&I design apprentice. This also gave me the opportunity to gain higher qualifications whilst working on my apprenticeship.

“Working in a team of other electrical design engineers from different backgrounds has given me the opportunity to learn a lot about the electrical engineering world. Applying what I’ve learned from off the job training and working on different projects within NNL has given me an insight into how challenging and interesting the nuclear industry really is.

“I usually work in a team that includes other disciplines as well as engineering, and I’m often given a package of work which can be complex and challenging, which is all helpful in completing the electrical engineering degree which I am currently working towards.

“In my three years in the nuclear industry I’ve already recognised how complex – but also how interesting – it is. I’m excited about what opportunities and challenges the next three years might bring, but I’m sure I’ll learn a great deal as I take my career forward.”

Urenco is an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products with sustainability at the core of its business.

As Safety Case Manager for the site-wide safety case, Ruby’s role is not purely technical and she drives business improvements including in leadership and management for safety, emergency planning and Urenco’s quality management system.

“After completing my degree in physics at the University of Hull, I joined a graduate scheme at Urenco UK as a Nuclear Safety Case Consultant in 2013. Since then, I have held a few different roles, all revolving around nuclear safety and non-proliferation, and the majority of my career has been on the Capenhurst Site.

“Working on the site, I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in all facility lifecycle phases, from concept design through to decommissioning activities. Being part of the nuclear fuel cycle means that UUK has different risks to consider than operational power stations, which keeps the roles varied and interesting. In my current role as Safety Case Manager, I work closely with various areas of the business to ensure continued safe operations.

“I am proud of my work in the nuclear industry because it provides essential, safe, sustainable energy; keeping the lights on and powering hospitals right now and long into the future.”

After completing a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Leeds, Lauren joined the graduate scheme at Urenco Nuclear Stewardship.

“As part of my graduate scheme, I participated in placements in both the nuclear and oil and gas sector, and in 2017 joined a major design project at Urenco Nuclear Stewardship as a Process Engineer. This role gave me great experience in understanding the design of new processes in the nuclear industry and the importance of safety in everything we do.

“I have transitioned into the Engineering Team, where I can use my background in process engineering to support the development of new processing and management routes for the site’s waste and residues. This looks at optimising off-site management routes as well as designing processes to offer new solutions in waste management.

“It is a key role for the Capenhurst site to ensure best available techniques are used for processing uranic residues and ensuring optimised management of residues is in place. I enjoy that the role is highly varied, and draws not only on technical expertise, but also commercial, project management and business development skills.

“Working in the decommissioning side of nuclear is all about creating bespoke solutions to ensure that nuclear waste is managed in a safe and sustainable way, ensuring that nuclear grows within the UK’s energy mix. This is a key part of achieving Net Zero by 2050, and I am proud to be part of that.”