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| National College for Nuclear | |
|---|---|
| Name | National College for Nuclear |
| Established | 2017 |
| Type | Specialist further education college |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Campuses | Sellafield; Preston; Warrington |
National College for Nuclear
The National College for Nuclear is a specialist further education institution focused on skills for the nuclear power and nuclear industry sectors, providing vocational training, apprenticeships, and higher technical qualifications. It operates across multiple campuses in the United Kingdom, working closely with major employers to supply skilled technicians, engineers, and managers for projects including new-build power stations, decommissioning programmes, and nuclear research facilities. The college partners with private companies, public bodies, research institutions, and trade unions to align curricula with sector needs.
The college delivers apprenticeships and technical qualifications linked to projects such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and Oldbury B. It serves stakeholders including EDF Energy, Rolls-Royce (industrial power systems), UK Atomic Energy Authority, Sellafield Ltd, and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Its remit spans workforce development for programmes involving suppliers like Westinghouse Electric Company, Areva NP, Siemens, Babcock International, Amec Foster Wheeler, KBR (company), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and Toshiba. Regulatory alignment is maintained with agencies such as the Office for Nuclear Regulation, Health and Safety Executive, and certification bodies including Institute of Physics-linked schemes.
Established following policy discussions involving the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the college grew from initiatives tied to the UK Industrial Strategy and the National Skills Strategy. Key milestones include partnerships negotiated with University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, and research collaborations referencing programmes at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and the Culham Science Centre. Early funding rounds involved investment commitments by Highways England-linked funds, local enterprise partnerships including Lancashire LEP and Cumbria County Council, and national bodies such as UK Research and Innovation and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Campuses include specialist training centres co-located near Sellafield, in Preston, Lancashire, and in Warrington, Cheshire, providing workshops, simulators, and radiological mock-ups. Facilities incorporate control room simulators similar to those used at Heysham Nuclear Power Station and Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station, welding bays used by suppliers to Laing O'Rourke standards, and laboratories aligned with instrumentation used by National Nuclear Laboratory. Training simulators emulate systems found in reactors designed by Westinghouse and Areva as well as small modular reactor concepts promoted by Rolls-Royce (engineering), NuScale Power, and TerraPower.
Programs range from Level 2 and Level 3 technical qualifications to Higher Technical Qualifications and degree apprenticeships validated with universities including University of Central Lancashire, University of Cumbria, University of Liverpool, University of Birmingham, and University of Bristol. Courses cover disciplines associated with employers such as EDF Energy and INES (Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety)—including reactor operations, radiological protection, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, instrumentation and control, and project management reflecting standards from Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Engineering and Technology, and Chartered Institute of Building.
The college operates apprenticeship schemes in collaboration with contractors like Balfour Beatty, NG Bailey, Laing O'Rourke, and Amey, and with supply-chain firms including Assystem, Mott MacDonald, Atkins, and Arcadis. It provides bespoke training for enterprise clients such as Rolls-Royce (civil nuclear), Jacobs Engineering Group, and Fluor Corporation and supports workforce mobility across projects at sites like Dounreay, Wylfa Newydd, and Bradwell B. Collaborative frameworks involve trade unions such as Unite the Union and GMB (trade union) to support skills transfer and career progression.
Research activity aligns with fusion research at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, reactor systems studies linked to Horizon Nuclear Power proposals, and materials research connected to Oak Ridge National Laboratory-style programmes and EU projects such as those coordinated by Euratom. Innovation projects include apprentices working on small modular reactor concepts promoted by National Nuclear Laboratory partners and supply-chain innovation with firms like GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Westinghouse Electric Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Toshiba Corporation-affiliated divisions. Collaborations extend to research councils including Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and initiatives with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Governance arrangements involve boards with representatives from major employers such as EDF Energy, Sellafield Ltd, Rolls-Royce (industrial power systems), and regional authorities including Lancashire County Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. Funding sources include capital grants and operational funding from bodies such as Department for Education, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and employer contributions from firms like Babcock International and KBR (company). The college reports to oversight stakeholders including the Office for Students where degree-level provision is concerned and coordinates compliance with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and professional institutions including Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Institution of Civil Engineers.
Admissions pathways include employer-sponsored apprenticeships, sponsored trainee schemes from companies such as EDF Energy and Sellafield Ltd, and full-time technical students progressing to university partners such as University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London. Student support services coordinate with regional agencies like Lancashire County Council for accommodation and transport and with student bodies inspired by national associations including National Union of Students and trade unions such as Unite the Union. Extracurricular links promote industry events at venues like ExCeL London, conferences hosted by Nuclear Industry Association and World Nuclear Association, and career fairs attended by Rolls-Royce (engineering) and Westinghouse Electric Company representatives.
Category:Further education colleges in the United Kingdom