The Nuclear Sector Skills Team (NSST) and the Nuclear Institute (NI) have agreed to work in partnership to support the Nuclear Skills Plan.

Announced during Back Nuclear Energy Week at the Houses of Parliament, the agreement will support closer working across civil and defence nuclear, focusing on professional development, workforce mobility and retention. With demand for the UK nuclear workforce expected to grow significantly over the coming years, attracting people into nuclear and supporting them to develop and move across the sector will be increasingly important.

The partnership responds to recommendations from the Nuclear Regulatory Review and will explore how the Nuclear Institute’s Nuclear Professionalism Standard® and wider networks can support people to enter, develop and build lasting careers in nuclear. Initial areas of collaboration will include professional standards, career-switcher and workforce mobility pathways, and links with existing skills and development programmes.

Mark Rouse, Skills Director at the Nuclear Sector Skills Team, said:

"Our agreement with the Nuclear Institute is a fantastic step forward. As two organisations working across both the civil and defence parts of the nuclear sector, it makes sense for us to work even more closely together, combining our expertise to achieve outcomes greater than the sum of our individual efforts. This MOU identifies where we can be mutually supportive and puts into practice recommendations from John Fingleton’s Nuclear Regulatory Review to build stronger relationships across the sector. Together, we can strengthen professional development, support greater movement across the sector and help build the skilled and resilient workforce nuclear needs for the future.”