NDA celebrates 10 years of nucleargraduates scheme

Created by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in 2008 with a £5 million investment, the nucleargraduates programme is the most comprehensive graduate scheme the industry has ever seen. 

The milestone was marked at a celebratory dinner where NDA Chief Executive, David Peattie, announced more graduates into the scheme each year in honour of the anniversary.

Revealing his vision for the scheme, he pledged a renewed boost to nucleargraduates over the next 10 years in a bid to help futureproof and diversify the UK’s nuclear workforce.

It will see the NDA put around £15 million in total skills investment over the next 10 years.

An evolution of the scheme will also mean a clearer development route for graduates and a greater commitment of employment within the NDA Group for those who perform.

The NDA itself will support four more graduates each year and overall recruitment will be made based on skills gaps within the NDA Group and wider industry.

David promised to work with the NDA’s supply chain to encourage further support and investment in the scheme.

The boost comes as part of an NDA Group-wide Early Careers Strategy which has been designed to create a workforce capable of dealing with future challenges.

It links closely with the NDA’s role in the Nuclear Sector Deal in helping to create a sustainable and diverse future workforce for the industry.

David Peattie said:

The NDA Group is changing to be even better at delivering its mission of the safe, secure and cost-effective clean-up of the UK’s nuclear legacy. A renewed focus and boost to our skills investment over the next 10 years will undoubtedly help us achieve that.

Nucleargraduates is a fantastic programme and I want to see it recognised as the scheme for the nuclear industry. In turn it will ensure a workforce ready to take on the future challenges and developments the nuclear sector will bring.

Nuclear Energy Minister Richard Harrington added:

Investing in skills is a key focus of our Nuclear Sector Deal. The NDA’s pledge of £15 million to train the nuclear workforce of the future is a welcome boost ahead of next week’s first ever Green GB Week.

As well as having a role to play in the UK’s low-carbon energy supply, nuclear power is also helping to create sustainable and highly skilled jobs for the future as part of our modern Industrial Strategy.

To date 344 graduates have gone through the programme.

The dinner also marked the culmination of the latest nucleargraduates cohort and saw around 150 graduates and guests attend the event at Energus, in West Cumbria.