The Nuclear Industry Association has published its annual jobs map of the UK for 2018, that shows the industry supports around 63,000 jobs up and down the country. There is particularly good news for the South West region, with the data showing an increase of 54% in nuclear jobs in South West England on 2017 data. The result is one in five (20%) of nuclear jobs are now based in the region.
Whilst the construction of Hinkley Point C is a clear factor in this growth, research conducted by Frazer Nash shows there are £50bn of economic opportunities in the region that cuts across new build, decommissioning and innovation, the latter being the focus of the South West Nuclear Hub.
UK Nuclear Jobs Map 2018
Commenting on the 2018 Jobs Map, Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:
“The nuclear sector has long been a major employer in the UK, providing life-long, highly skilled, quality jobs, in areas where they are often hard to come by. Our 2018 Jobs Map has demonstrated the true value nuclear brings to many communities across the country, and the UK, beyond providing sustainable, low carbon electricity.
“It’s important the economic potential of future new build projects planned for across the country is not underestimated and continuing to encourage talent into the sector to meet our current and future needs is vital.”
The Jobs Map reveals that women currently make up 19% of the nuclear workforce. Since 2015, the number of women working in nuclear has increased by 12%, and as detailed in the Nuclear Sector Deal, attracting even more women into the sector will be a key focus for the sector to meet the target of a 40% female workforce by 2030.
You can explore the interactive jobs map here, which breaks down the jobs by parliamentary constituency and company.
Two Years of Construction Progress at Hinkley Point C
View across site - image via EDF Energy
Inevitably, the increase in the South West region can be attributed to the construction of the UK's first new build project in 20 years at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Two years since the launch of construction, EDF Energy has recently reported that the project is on track to hit its next milestone in 2019.
More than 3,200 people are now at work building the new nuclear power station in Somerset. The project is on track for its next major milestone in 2019 – the completion of the 4,500 tonne concrete platform on which the reactor buildings sit. This significant moment for the project is known as “J-0” and has been underpinned by the successful completion of the final design for the work.
The video below shows the key facts of the project that again highlights the scale of the construction project.
Two years of construction at #Hinkley Point C in numbers…
🚜 5,300,000m3 of material excavated
📚 250 apprenticeships created
🔨 100km of ground nails installed
👷♀️ 200,000m3 of concrete produced
📏 750m of underground galleries completed pic.twitter.com/2DIIwMOl2m— Hinkley Point C (@hinkleypointc) September 27, 2018