New report shows how Sizewell C is set to provide economic recovery for the region

Latest figures from Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the first of the two new power stations planned for the UK, shows how Sizewell C can provide the road to economic recovery for Suffolk and Norfolk.

The new figures from Hinkley Point C show spending in the South-West has hit £3.2 billion – twice the initial target and the project is set to hire 1,700 new roles in the next year.  36% of the workforce are from the local area compared to a target of 34%.

Furthermore, new training centres are helping local people to get the skills they need to access the opportunities. There are now over 200 companies in the East of England working with Hinkley Point C delivering over £1bn to the regional economy.

Apprenticeships have already been awarded to some young people in Suffolk who have started their training in Somerset before transferring back to Sizewell C.

Cody Lucas was studying a Level 3 qualifications in welding at the East Coast College Lowestoft campus, when he secured an apprenticeship with Doosan Babcock which will see him start at Hinkley Point C before returning to Suffolk to work at Sizewell C. “It is an opportunity of a lifetime to work at Hinkley Point C and then come back home to Suffolk as a qualified welder to work at Sizewell C. I was over the moon when I got the phone call to say I got on the apprenticeship; I can’t wait to start.”

Joshua Wilkins is a Sizewell C Project Controls Apprentice: “I am a project controls apprentice for Sizewell C. It’s a three-year apprenticeship which I have started at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and will complete in Suffolk with the Sizewell C project next year. I feel really proud to work in an industry that’s fighting climate change and making a real difference in helping Britain cut its emissions and protect the planet. I am now in the second year of my apprenticeship and next year I am looking forward to returning home to Suffolk to work on Sizewell C.”

Humphrey Cadoux Hudson, Sizewell C Managing Director, said: “Hinkley Point C is making fantastic progress and providing a real boost to the South West economy.  We want to replicate this success for Suffolk and Norfolk and realise the economic benefits and provide a springboard for training, skills and education provision for generations to come.”

This year Sizewell C has made major progress in preparing the region for new jobs and skills and has launched:

•  A Jobs Service that already with some workers starting with HPC before transferring to SZC
• An employment and training prospectus that provides a pathway from education and training through to jobs with the project
• An interactive careers platform to support Young Sizewell C subscribers keen to know more about the jobs on the project
• Early apprenticeships being placed in welding, pipe fitting, project controls, formwork carpentry, surveying

C-J Green, Chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “These are positive findings from the work at Hinkley Point C. Sizewell C will provide huge skills development opportunities for our region, through creating new jobs, investing in training and generating future opportunities for local young people.”

Terry Baxter, CEO Inspire Suffolk, said: “Sizewell C provides a vital lifeline for some of our most vulnerable young people in the region. Suffolk Inspire has a long-term partnership with the project and we are already opening doors for young people to gain access to training and new skills to help improve their life chances.  It is important we get behind the project and ensure we make the most of it for families in Suffolk.”

Emma Ratzer MBE, CEO Access Community Trust, said: “Access works with fifth generational unemployed people in Suffolk and we firmly believe that Sizewell C can help stop the cycle of worklessness and help families get into fulfilling jobs.  Our partnership with Sizewell C ensures that those families that need the most support to access those roles will receive it through our network of community hubs and trained support workers.”

Hinkley Point C expects to hire 1,700 people in the next year, helping the South West economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The jobs forecast comes in the latest report into the positive social and economic impact of the new nuclear power station, which will play a key role in helping Britain fight climate change by achieving net-zero emissions.

The Hinkley Point C Jobs Service is working with Somerset colleges to make the new roles as accessible as possible to local people. Facilities like the new Welding Centre of Excellence and Construction Skills and Innovation Centre operated in partnership with Bridgwater and Taunton College, give people a chance to learn new skills to start careers with the project, even if they don’t have previous experience.

Case studies

Cody Lucas, Sizewell C Welding Apprentice

Cody was studying a Level 3 qualifications in welding at the East Coast College Lowestoft campus, when he secured an apprenticeship with Doosan Babcock which will see him start at Hinkley Point C before returning to Suffolk to work at Sizewell C.

“It is an opportunity of a lifetime to work at Hinkley Point C and then come back home to Suffolk as a qualified welder to work at Sizewell C. I was over the moon when I got the phone call to say I got on the apprenticeship; I can’t wait to start.”

Joshua Wilkins, Sizewell C Project Controls Apprentice

“I am a project controls apprentice for Sizewell C. It’s a three-year apprenticeship which I have started at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and will complete in Suffolk with the Sizewell C project next year. I feel really proud to work in an industry that’s fighting climate change and making a real difference in helping Britain cut its emissions and protect the planet. Working in project controls means that I get to combine two of my favourite things – IT and engineering. I keep track of our schedule and the tasks we have to do. That’s a pretty big role in a project like this where we are building a new nuclear power station which will make such a big contribution to meeting net zero targets. We literally have thousands of tasks to complete to deliver the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation and I am proud to be doing my bit. Building new nuclear stations on time is crucial in the battle against climate change as we move away from fossil fuels. When I am not working at Hinkley Point C I am studying at the National College for Nuclear. I am learning core processes such as estimating, risk management, cost engineering and honing my IT skills. I am now in the second year of my apprenticeship and next year I am looking forward to returning home to Suffolk to work on Sizewell C.”