The UK’s nuclear industry needs 7,000 more skilled workers a year to reach projected peak demand, according to a new study.

The Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NNSG) set out the ambitious target through its Updated Strategic Skills Plan, launched at the recent Nuclear Industry Association’s (NIA) Annual Conference in London.

The plan forecasts that 100,600 full time equivalent roles will be needed by 2021 to meet the demands of power generation, nuclear new build, research and development, decommissioning, defence and waste management.

It outlines how 2,000 new local apprenticeships are needed each year – double the current intake – and 72 nuclear related PhDs are needed annually, to deliver high level skills and replace experts who are retiring from the sector, to help meet the target.

A further 20 per cent of people will be needed from transferable downsizing industries such as oil and gas and coal generation, along with further school outreach work to encourage young people into nuclear, it says.

And it calls for greater leadership to help meet tough diversity quotas outlined in the Government’s Nuclear Sector Deal, which aims to increase the female nuclear workforce from 20 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030.

The NSSG is an industry-led strategic group, made up of employers, Government and trade unions representing both the civil and defence sectors. At present the vast majority of the UK’s nuclear workforce is based in Cumbria, supporting the on-going decommissioning and clean-up of the Sellafield site.

Dr Fiona Rayment, executive director, at the National Nuclear Laboratory’s Nuclear Innovation and Research Office and chair of the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group said: “Our update reflects new member insights about the changing shape of our growing sector and the skills required, as well as new intelligence, risks and evidence that have arisen since our initial plan.

“Importantly it fully embraces the joint targets in the Nuclear Sector Deal and brings a renewed focus on diversity, including clear targets. The Nuclear Sector Deal sets out to boost productivity, reduce costs and grow our domestic and international business. All of this will be delivered through the contribution of our skilled people. We look forward to ensuring the industry thrives and prospers through the talents of an increasingly diverse workforce.”

David Vineall, human resources director at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, who is also a member of the NSSG and leads the diversity agenda, said: “The diversity targets we have agreed as part of the Nuclear Sector Deal are challenging and we know will require significant leadership if we are to achieve them.

“Ultimately, this drive to change the DNA of our sector will ensure we have both the skills we need to innovate and drive increased productivity.

“Above all, this will ensure that everyone is able to benefit from the exciting career opportunities that the nuclear sector can offer, from new build to decommissioning. This will help our sector to look at problems in a new and fresh way, consider alternative ideas and foster the diversity of thought and ideas that leads to change.”

Richard Harrington MP, parliamentary under secretary of state and minister for business and industry at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, added: “This Updated Nuclear Skills Strategic Plan will ensure that UK nuclear employers can recruit the highly skilled workforce they need at local, regional and national level. We want to increase the number of women in nuclear, double the current apprenticeship intake, and excite the next generation about the future of nuclear in the UK.”

Since its inception, the NSSG has launched a nuclear bursary to encourage a wider range of people to upskill for a nuclear career, with £50,000 being awarded in the last year, and worked with 20 key employers to create the www.nucleargateway.co.uk nuclear recruitment platform for apprentices and graduates. It has also launched a pilot programme to reskill and transition skilled personnel from a coal power stations into nuclear, to fill known skill gaps, and initiative that could be rolled out into other industries if successful.