Bridgwater & Taunton College, the principal delivery arm of the National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub (NCfN), has signed a significant training partnership deal with EDF Energy, the company building Hinkley Point C.
The five-year contract, awarded after a rigorous and highly complex competitive tender process, will see the College take in and train EDF Energy’s maintenance apprentices from across the UK – many of whom will join Hinkley Point C’s team in the future.
Bridgwater & Taunton College Principal and CEO Andy Berry expressed his pride and delight in securing this important deal for the College, he said:
The National College for Nuclear has a crucial role to play in delivering the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and today marks the culmination of almost a decade of investment, proactive engagement and close collaboration with our partners at EDF Energy.
David Youles, EDF Energy’s Training Standards and Projects Manager, said,
Working with Bridgwater & Taunton College we have been able to revamp what was already a very successful programme, looking at the technical side of the training as well as the life skills we offer during the apprentices’ two years at the College.
The training, led by the College team, will be within the ultramodern, government flagship National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub in Cannington, Somerset, with unprecedented access to EDF Energy’s prestigious ‘Campus’ training facility.
EDF Energy’s talent pool of young apprentices will develop knowledge and skills to form a world class, highly trained team of professional maintenance and operations engineering technicians both at Hinkley Point C and also the company’s operational power stations.
Mr Berry added,
EDF Energy has invested in us as a key training provider for their nuclear generation, operation and decommissioning fleet, safe in the knowledge that we have the capacity and capability to deliver a first class training offer.
Our work with EDF Energy over the years has enabled us to develop a deep understanding of what makes nuclear special, and we’re thrilled that young people from Somerset have the opportunity to be at the very forefront of this incredibly exciting project.
We thank EDF Energy for their commitment to the College, and very much look forward to a close, effective and enduring partnership.
Mr Youles added:
The course is future-proofed and so sustainable. It brings in apprentices from our generating sites who will go back to work on operational power stations across the UK and also those who will have the opportunity to join Hinkley Point C’s new team.
All of the apprentices going through this programme will have the chance to train just a few miles from the new build site at Hinkley Point C which should excite and inspire them to become the future leaders of our company.
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