This snapshot taken on 03/07/2009, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search boxes may not work in archived websites.
The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) has as an objective to build and maintain the UK as the best market in the world for companies to do business in nuclear power. To achieve this objective we will need to be sure that there are sufficient skills to deliver nuclear power in the UK. To facilitate our work on ensuring the skills base can support new nuclear build in the UK, the OND has developed a map to set out all the bodies with an interest in skills for nuclear in the UK and to describe the links, interactions and funding routes between them. Skills is an area where many bodies have a remit; this map provides clarity on the relationships between them, as well as giving information on each one's specific roles and objectives.
The skills map is an interactive piece of work. In order to find out more information about each of the bodies involved, please click on the text box on the map and it will take you to some supporting information. The supporting text is all accessible below but for it to be most effective it should be used in conjunction with the map:
(39KB)Government department to help ensure business success in an increasingly competitive world. BERR’s role is to boost productivity and keep the UK competitive and an attractive place to do business, especially in challenging economic times, as well as to help companies succeed overseas and to bring foreign investment to the UK. BERR has a strong interest in regional economic policy and is the sponsor department for Regional Development Agencies in England.
Website: www.berr.gov.uk
Government department created on 3 October 2008, in order to give a greater focus to solving the twin challenges of climate change and energy supply. The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) sits within DECC and is designed to be a one-stop shop which will help facilitate new nuclear investment in the UK. Part of the OND’s remit is nuclear skills and supply chain. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) reports through to DECC.
Website: www.decc.gov.uk
Nuclear content on BERR website: www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/sources/nuclear/index.html
Government department created to build a dynamic, knowledge based economy. This department will draw together the Nation’s strengths in colleges, research, science and universities. DIUS is one of the sponsoring departments for the Commission for Employment and Skills.
Website: www.dius.gov.uk
Government department which aims to defend the United Kingdom and its interests as well as strengthening international peace and stability. The Royal Navy submarines are responsible for providing the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent and therefore they need a skilled workforce to be able to carry out this duty. Many nuclear related skills needed in the MoD environment can be transferred to the civil nuclear industry and vice versa.
Website: www.mod.uk
As a single employer-led board, the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) will provide direct and independent advice to Ministers at the highest levels across the UK. They will develop an independent view of how successful and well integrated our employment and skills systems are in meeting the competitive challenges faced by business, and in supporting changing employment trends. The Commission will also fund and manage the performance and re-licensing of the 25 employer-led Sector Skills Councils who ensure a powerful voice for employers on current and future skills needs and will help determine the targets, policies and progress necessary to our ambition of world class skill levels by 2020. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is a UK-wide non-departmental public body which reports to 8 sponsors in total including DIUS, DWP, HMT, BERR, DCSF and the governments/administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Website: www.ukces.org.uk
The Learning and Skills Council exists to make England better skilled and more competitive. The LSC provides funding to the National Skills Academy for Nuclear, for the first three years of operation the LSC will provide match funding to the amount invested by Associate Members. The Learning and Skills council will be disbanded by July 2010 making way for the Young People Learning Agency and the Skills Funding Agency, reporting to DCSF and DIUS respectively. These changes start from April 2009.
Website: www.lsc.gov.uk
Train to Gain is the national skills Service that supports employers of all sizes and in all sectors like you to improve the skills of your employees as a route to improving your business performance. Train to Gain is a service of the Learning and Skills Council. To meet the needs of all business sectors Train to Gain are setting up agreements - called sector compacts - to work together with the Sector Skills Councils. The agreements let us fund high-level training in the skills that matter to each sector. A £50 million training fund is being made available to employers in the Cogent Sector as part of a three year deal between Cogent SSC and the Government through the Learning and Skills Council’s Train to Gain initiative.
Website: www.traintogain.gov.uk
Main UK government agency for funding research and training in engineering and the physical sciences, investing around £740 million a year in a broad range of subjects. Funded by the UK government through the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills (DIUS). Provides funding through applied grants.
Website: www.epsrc.ac.uk
The Regional Development Agencies are helping to create prosperity across England. RDA’s are strengthening and growing regional economies, guided by the principles of sustainability to ensure a healthy long term future for everyone. Each RDA is working with partners to build on their region’s natural assets, develop the knowledge-based economy, revitalise places and meet the needs of regional businesses. RDAs are funded by a ‘Single Pot’ from six Government departments who, in 2007-08, contributed to a total RDA budget of £2.3bn. BERR is the RDA’s sponsor department.
Website: www.englandsrdas.com
Collective group including vendors, operators, key suppliers and contractors who all have an interest in the Nuclear Industry.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has strategic responsibility for the UK's nuclear legacy. The NDA launched their skills and capability strategy in 2006. The Energy Act 2004 sets out the responsibility for the NDA to ensure there is ‘an appropriately skilled workforce available to carry out decommissioning and clean-up’. The NDA budget is a combination of Government grant-in-aid and income from their commercial assets. The NDA focuses on all areas of skills beginning with the development of STEM subjects in schools to the ‘nucleargraduates’ programme and the community apprenticeship scheme. An NDA representative site on the board of the NSAN.
Website: www.nda.gov.uk
The Nuclear Industry Association is the trade association and information body for the UK civil nuclear industry, representing over 150 companies and some 40,000 UK nuclear workers. The NIA works closely with NSAN to ensure that the skills academy is responding to employer needs.
Website: www.niauk.org
Sector Skills Council for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nuclear, oil & gas, petroleum & polymers. We are licensed by the Government to provide employers in our sector with the opportunity for coherent leadership and strategic action to meet their skills needs. Cogent engages in market intelligence to assess the skills shortages in the Nuclear field. Cogent then works with the NSAN to implement their strategies in addressing these shortages. Cogent is particularly interested in developing the nuclear passport which can be transferable throughout the nuclear industry as well as working with industry to develop a nuclear top-up package for apprentices. Cogent is also working on science in schools initiatives as well as higher education initiatives.
Website: www.cogent-ssc.com
The National Skills Academy for Nuclear has been established at the request of Nuclear employers to address the key skills and training challenges facing the Nuclear industry. The Skills Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cogent Sector Skills Council and is governed by an employer led board of nominated Associate Member Organisation representatives. The NSAN has traditionally focused on providing training from entry level to foundation degree but NSAN is now also beginning to foster links with higher education for higher degree provisions. NSAN delivers policies and frameworks to address the shortages highlighted by industry and the Market Intelligence research carried out by Cogent. The Skills Academy contracts with providers throughout the UK to deliver their training initiatives. Amongst others, these providers include existing training centres, further education colleges, Universities and employer sites.
This graduate programme has been designed and led by the NDA but is backed by over 20 different organisations who work within the nuclear industry. The scheme lasts for two years and involves four 6-month secondments, one of which is overseas. The scheme aims to address the shortage of graduates in the nuclear industry and applies to engineering, science and commercial graduates. There is no guarantee of a job at the end of the scheme as it is not aligned to any one body but most graduates are recruited by one of the associated organisations.
NTEC provides post-graduate level training for the nuclear sector which has been developed by a strong consortium of UK Universities and Higher Education Institutions. The breadth and format of the training is designed to meet the UK’s projected skills requirements in all areas of the nuclear field. The structure and content of the programme, which leads to qualifications up to Master’s level in Nuclear Science and Technology was established after extensive consultations with the nuclear sector. The course can be taken as a full-time M.Sc, a part time M.Sc or each module may be taken as a standalone short course for Continuing Professional development purposes. A majority of NTEC funding is currently coming in grant form from the EPRSC but this funding is due to cease in 2009.
Many Forums and associations have been set up to bring together representatives from the nuclear industry and Government across many countries to enable the sharing of knowledge and to keep up to date with different countries nuclear policies.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) provides training opportunities and grants for training to new entrants and experienced people across a wide range of disciplines. We focus on improving the skills of craft and technician personnel and supervisors working on-site, as well as the skills of office based staff such as designers and project managers. From apprenticeships for new recruits, courses for unemployed people and management training, we organise and oversee training for every level of career in the industry. ECITB and Cogent interact very closely to address the needs skills shortages in the nuclear industry as many skills needed to develop new nuclear are not nuclear specific.
Two more of the Sector skills council who work with Cogent as their areas of interest cross over into the nuclear field especially in engineering areas which do not need nuclear specific skills.
National skills academy which has a similar interest to the nuclear skills academy so the two interact closely. Representatives from each academy sit on the strategic network which encourages the sharing of knowledge and initiatives.
Places which provide training and education outside of school and below higher education level. These include training centres, further education colleges, universities, employer sites and community colleges amongst others.
Universities and colleges which deliver Higher Education.
Universities involved in delivery Undergraduate and foundation degrees relating to the nuclear industry.
Universities involved in delivering postgraduate courses or modules related to the nuclear industry.
A consortium of UK universities, led by the University of Manchester in partnership with Imperial College London, is offering a fully funded EngD Programme in Nuclear Engineering. The EngD combines the academic strengths of a conventional PhD with the practical benefits of linking the research to the specific needs of a collaborating company. This is a four year programme which involves the research engineer being based within an industrial company in the UK so in addition to obtaining a high quality qualification, the research engineer will also gain the experience of working in an industrial research and development environment. The research engineer receives a standard EPSRC doctoral stipend enhanced by a contribution from the sponsoring company. The Universities involved in the consortium are The University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Bristol, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
