SELLAFIELD are celebrating the role their engineers play, this World Engineering Day.

Engineers are crucial to delivering Sellafield purpose to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

They invent, design, solve problems, and maintain facilities, complex systems, structures, and materials at the site.

Ike Martin, from Bootle, started at Sellafield in 2013 as a business admin apprentice before moving into engineering as a technical assistant. He’s now civil engineering support in special equipment services.

He said: “When I joined the engineering team, I quickly learned that there was range of opportunities. Despite not having an engineering background, I was able to find a career path that suited me.

“During my time as a technical assistant, I was able to see how an engineering department responds to business-critical breakdowns and I learned software and system skills.

“One of the most interesting stints was providing a support service to the civils team. My dad is a joiner so I’ve been involved in building from a young age. I knew that this is where I wanted to make a career, so I applied for the civil degree scheme.

“Being a part of the engineering family has given me more confidence in my own abilities. It's allowed me to develop a recognised profession within engineering.”

Ike currently manages the civil inspection programme for the site. He chairs sentencing meetings which reviews condition reports for all Sellafield’s civil assets.

He added: “I’m also trained in the inspection of secondary components such as ladders, gates, handrails and walkways. I’ll begin inspections on these components next financial year. I’m looking forward to be able to play a part in improving the conventional safety of the site.”

Ike is now in his final year of a foundation degree in civil engineering and asset management.

The course has recently been accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers. That’s a huge achievement for the course developer, Cumbria’s National College for Nuclear.

A civil engineering skills base is needed to support new infrastructure projects and Sellafield’s aging assets.