Industry article

Future skills demand in nuclear engineering

Engineering skills demand remains high, but if the Sizewell C project does go ahead as planned, talent shortages could impact success.

The debate over nuclear power continues to rumble on, with supporters arguing that it provides the cleanest and most effective energy source, plugging a gap until renewables are more widely integrated, and opponents saying it’s too dangerous, dirty and expensive to adopt.

The proposed Sizewell C project encapsulates this back and forth perfectly; it was only a few months ago that development consent for the new reactor was granted by the Government, before being put under review, then confirmed once again as going ahead – at least for now. But while the discussion rolls on, the UK continues to source at least 15% of its annual energy from nuclear power, and skills are highly sought after. This blog looks at where there are shortages and what skills are needed for this critical work.

Sizewell C

The Sizewell C project has received significant media and government attention over the last few months in an almost ‘will they / won’t they’ TV plot. At the time of writing, the latest reports suggest that the power plant has the backing of government, with the business secretary, Grant Shapps, stating that the project would help Britain move towards greater energy dependence”.

If and when eventually built, it would sit alongside the Sizewell B reactor on the Suffolk coast and would be expected to provide up to 7% of the UK’s electricity needs, potentially plugging a major gap in Britain’s energy requirements. It would ultimately generate power for up to 6m homes for as long as 60 years and was one of eight new reactors that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had planned to green light over the next decade.

However, while the chances of this project progressing seem more favourable than many others, finding the specialist skills to build, run and maintain these plants may prove an additional challenge. According to the annual IET skills survey, around two-thirds of engineering firms are facing skills shortages, with 96% of this group saying the skills deficit impacts their business in some way. A worrying 71% of employers say they are experiencing skills gaps due to missing engineering or technical skills and a quarter are being forced into recruiting fewer apprentices and graduates who are new to the industry.

Talent gap

If these statistics suggest there is still a major talent gap within engineering, it is even more acutely felt within the niche of nuclear engineering. In addition to the lack of people entering the field at entry level, the nuclear sector is also approaching a concerning retirement cliff, with 39% of the workforce aged 50+. This shouldn’t come as a surprise; with no new reactors built in over two decades it’s natural that interest in opportunities, and demand for them, would fall, leading to an ageing workforce

While the combination of low entry numbers, a looming retirement cliff and potentially growing demand for skills is concerning employers, for both junior candidates and experienced nuclear professionals, there has never been a better time to operate in the sector, particularly for those with a STEM-based background. However, the field is known for having exceptionally high skills requirements and, as you will know, only a small proportion of people have the qualities required for a technical job in this field. But what skills are required to be a nuclear engineer in a rapidly changing market?

Skills in demand

Firstly, engineers with good analytical skills, the capacity to understand complex operational and monitoring systems, and problem-solving competencies, are particularly highly sought after in the current market. Engineers with top-level IT and mathematical skills are also in demand across the board and professionals who can combine technical skill sets with good communication and commercial abilities will not have to look far for potential opportunities.

Around 65,000 people currently work in the industry, but this is expected to rise to more than 100,000 over the next decade, and possibly even higher than that if all the aforementioned anticipated projects do get approval, with a large proportion of those roles being engineering-based. According to data from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), the UK nuclear energy industry workforce is anticipated to grow by 5% next year alone, exceeding pre-pandemic levels of growth. In addition, companies are feeling optimistic; with 38% saying the sector is set to expand further in the coming years. This means opportunities will be rife amongst engineering and energy consulting firms, government departments, educational institutions, research facilities and more across the public and private sectors. It’s likely that demand for this expertise will continue to boom in the coming years as the UK adjusts to the ongoing energy crisis so ensuring you have an awareness of the opportunities available to you is of paramount importance.

The nuclear industry has the potential to meet a significant part of UK energy requirements in the coming years, however in order to fulfil its potential, it must first recruit the skilled engineers required to run and maintain complex reactors and plants.

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