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Skills & Training

As part of the stage 2 consultation EDF Energy have undertaken a review of the construction workforce profile for the Hinkley Point C Project. This review has taken into account the Flamanville 3 Project in Normandy, France where EDF Energy is constructing an European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) of the same design as that proposed for Hinkley Point C; as well as experience from other nuclear power station projects around the world.

Following these detailed studies EDF Energy now estimate that there will be around 5,600 workers at peak .

Employment Brokerage

To enable those living in Somerset to find out about and apply for vacancies, we are working with Jobcentre Plus to establish an employment brokerage scheme. Later in 2011, residents in Somerset will be able to walk into any Jobcentre Plus office and gain access to vacancy and training information, as well as being able to call EDF Energy on a dedicated job-line number.

Somerset college skills investment

Because we want as many jobs on the project as possible to be taken by people who live nearby, we are working collaboratively with training providers to upgrade the skills of people who live in Somerset.

We have committed to the following investment in skills training, subject to the relevant consents and approvals being granted:

  • £3 million investment in the Energy Skills Centre at Bridgwater College;
  • £1.5 million investment in creating a new Construction Skills Centre at Bridgwater College;
  • £1.6 million with West Somerset Community College on a range of measures, including re-aligning some of the College’s facilities at Minehead so that they are better able to offer training to match the needs of the project.

EDF Energy estimate that the peak construction workforce will be 5,600 workers.

  • 20,000 – 25,000 individual jobs provided over the lifetime of the construction programme, with 5,000 of these expected to be filled by Somerset residents.
  • EDF Energy are working with Jobcentre Plus and investing in local colleges to provide people with access to vacancies and the skills they need to secure jobs on the project.
  • EDF Energy are making apprenticeship provision available through the Construction Skills Centre and Hinkley Ready Skills Project.

Apprenticeships for local people

We want to develop a large pool of school leavers in Somerset who are able to pursue a career via our apprenticeship or graduate schemes. This year we will take forward a programme of activity with schools to raise the aspirations (vocational and academic) of school pupils in Somerset.

The new power station will require 900 full-time operational staff, the majority of whom we expect would live in Somerset. We will be increasing the numbers of apprenticeships we offer over the next few years so that approximately 200 of the 300 trained technicians needed for the operation of Hinkley Point C in 2018 will be sourced through EDF Energy’s four-year apprenticeship programme.

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