The construction and operation of Hinkley Point C (HPC) has and will create thousands of employment opportunities and hundreds of Apprenticeships in a broad range of occupations and careers. There are jobs in construction, civil engineering, electrical installation, hospitality, catering, logistics, security, site services, support roles and others over the coming years. Simon Brewer, Head of Civil Engineering at Bridgwater & Taunton College, looks at the opportunities presented by the Hinkley Point C development, and how the College is supporting with Apprenticeship, training and skills delivery.
True to the spirit of collaboration that HPC has engendered across its supply chain, we work in partnership with key collaborators and stakeholders to ensure HPC contractors and client get high quality skills solutions and full value from the Construction Skills and Innovation Centre (CSIC) at Bridgwater & Taunton College. We have delivered over 10,000 hours of training for BYLOR, the main Civil Engineering contractor at HPC.
As well as providing invaluable upskilling courses, Bridgwater & Taunton College has been pivotal in the recruitment, training and assessment of BYLOR’s apprentices, and in the past year has enrolled 40 Shuttering Carpenter/Formwork apprentices. These apprentices will learn the Shuttering Carpenter trade alongside the 60 Steel Fixer apprentices that have also been enrolled this year, with most of these apprentices new into the Construction sector, having made an informed career decision to take advantage of these unique opportunities.
Working closely with client, contractors and supply chain at HPC has helped Bridgwater & Taunton College deliver fantastic, long-term civil engineering career opportunities to our local community. It’s exciting, life-changing work for us, as well as the apprentices we see at the centre. The legacy of this close relationship with HPC is that the South West region has a fully established, tried-and-tested, practical civil engineering training centre that is delivering high quality training programmes across civil engineering skilled trade Apprenticeships, NVQs, short courses, plant training and tickets, Construction Safety courses etc. with many local, regional and national contractors and self-employed suppliers already enjoying the benefits from all that this centre can deliver them.
BYLOR is a joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O’Rourke – two of Europe’s most dynamic engineering and construction specialists. BYLOR are delivering the main civil engineering works at Hinkley Point C – Europe’s largest construction project and first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK for over 30 years.
The Construction Skills and Innovation Centre, located in Cannington, Somerset was built in partnership between the College, Heart of the South West LEP and EDF Energy. The facility replicates a reallife construction site, with industry-standard plant, machinery and equipment, and enables construction site behaviours and standards to be taught alongside specific technical knowledge and skills.
For more information about CSIC’s courses at Bridgwater & Taunton College, call the Information & Guidance team on 01278 441234, email info@btc.ac.uk or visit www.btc.ac.uk
