Bridgwater & Taunton College were privileged last week to host Andrew Stephenson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Mr Stephenson was given a tour of the College’s National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub (NCfN), before meeting with learners who are benefitting from state-of-the-art technology and high-level technical training delivered at the College. Mr Stephenson engaged with the students, gaining first-hand experience of the complexity of the industry, and quizzed them on the opportunities available to them, and their plans for the future.
The MP was impressed by how Bridgwater & Taunton College has responded to industry needs and has used advances in technology to challenge the way that training in the nuclear sector has historically been delivered and assessed.
Andrew Stephenson, Minister for Business and Industry, said:
The National College for Nuclear is a key part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, revolutionising training for the UK’s world-leading nuclear sector by developing the technical skills of young people.
Thousands of technicians and engineers will be needed to support the UK’s future nuclear programmes, producing clean, low-carbon energy that will be key to meeting our ambitious target of net zero emissions by 2050.
NCfN’s virtual reality (VR) room and flow rig, that replicates a nuclear plant in microcosm, brings theory to life in a hands-on and engaging manner that allows learners to learn from mistakes and analyse their performance in a safe environment.
NCfN recently won the SEMTA award for Skills Innovation of the Year, beating stiff competition from Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota Manufacturing. The award recognised how the Bridgwater & Taunton College harnessed technological advances to improve their training delivery, and the positive impact this has had on the workforce.
Andy Berry, Principal of Bridgwater & Taunton College commented:
We pride ourselves on excellent practices which directly benefit our students. The National College for Nuclear opened in order to train a skilled and relevant workforce for this growing industry, it a great opportunity for us to showcase the College and demonstrate the positive impact government funding can have for our students and the ongoing economic benefits it will have on the wider community.
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