Boost to fusion energy skills and workforce in the East Midlands
UK Atomic Energy Authority and East Midlands Combined County Authority join forces.
They have announced a 20-year collaboration to advance fusion energy training and skills development, including apprenticeships and wider vocational training programmes.
The collaboration will provide crucial skills for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project – the UK’s first prototype fusion energy power plant that will be built on the West Burton site in Nottinghamshire.
It will also support a growing fusion industry across the region.
An Economic and Wider Impact Assessment commissioned by relevant local authorities has calculated that by the time it is fully operational, the West Burton site is anticipated to accommodate 6,500 full-time jobs across STEP and the surrounding business park, equivalent to 12.5% of the current total workplace jobs in Bassetlaw.
Around half of the forecast STEP Campus construction jobs are expected to require Level 3+ qualifications, and it is estimated that nearly three quarters of the onsite jobs are expected to require individuals with Level 4+ qualifications.
The partnership will deliver fusion-relevant courses through existing training sites across the region.
Training provided will be designed with flexibility to adapt as the STEP programme and the West Burton site evolves. Initial training will focus on the engineering and project skills needed to complete plant design, with construction and operational skills as focus areas for future stages of the programme.
