Sizewell C apprentices start their training

Two Suffolk students have been awarded apprenticeships for Sizewell C.

The Engineering students: Reece Bugg – West Suffolk College and Reece McKenna – East Coast College, were successfully recruited following assessment sessions held by Doosan Babcock who were looking for new recruits in welding, project controls and engineering for the new nuclear sector.

The students went through classroom-based academic tests and practical assessments in the college workshops using equipment such as the welding bays.

Dave Whitehouse from Doosan Babcock, a member of the Sizewell C civils programme, said:

“There was a lot of great candidates for this year’s apprenticeship programme and we are delighted to take on these Suffolk students to get them ready for long rewarding careers.

“Developing the next generation of talent, firstly at Hinkley Point C, then transitioning to Sizewell C will support long term career paths for hundreds over the duration of the projects.”

Reece Bugg, an Apprentice Rigger, said: “I’m glad this opportunity with Doosan Babcock came up, I didn’t know what the company did or understand the apprenticeships on offer until they visited my college. The apprenticeship is going well, my career route as a rigging apprentice is really interesting and I’m gaining new skills and knowledge every week, I’m amazed how much I have learnt already about rigging and lifting, and the equipment used. Living away from home was tough to start with but I have settled in now and made a new set of friends. I am looking forward to completing the challenges over the next few months in the training centre so I can go on to site, hopefully Hinkley Point C in the spring next year.”

Sizewell C aims to deliver 1,500 apprenticeships and recruit at least a third of its construction workforce from the local area. The project is working with local education providers to ensure the skills are in place now so local people have the opportunity to work with Sizewell C.

Sizewell C will need a diverse range of skills from construction and engineering through to hospitality and project management and the Sizewell C Consortium of over 200 companies has signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the New Anglia LEP and FE Colleges to underline this commitment.

Roles offered

• Apprentice Erector / Rigger – Reece Bugg – West Suffolk College
• Project Control – Reece McKenna – East Coast College
• Engineering Construction Erector Rigger – Initial training at Doosan Babcock training centre at Tipton in the West Midlands for the first 8 months and then on to site at Hinkley Point C before transferring to Sizewell C.
• L3 Project Controls Technician L3 – Initial training at Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa for the first 8 months and then on to site at Hinkley Point C before transferring to Sizewell C.