UK acts for nuclear work permits
British officials have changed rules governing work permits for 28 occupations in engineering, including some specialist nuclear roles. The move should make it easier for firms wanting to build new nuclear power plants to source an adequate supply of trained staff.
British officials have changed rules governing work permits for 28 occupations in engineering, including some specialist nuclear roles. The move should make it easier for firms wanting to build new nuclear power plants to source an adequate supply of trained staff.
Most of the 28 roles could be applied across the power industry. They include different levels of mechanical, electrical and civil engineers as well as plant process and network specialists and control and instrumentation engineers.
Three job titles were specifically linked to the nuclear power industry: system health engineer, design engineer and work cycle planner. The list also covers physicists, two levels of reactor physicists, central control room supervisors and high integrity pipe welders.
Roles were added to the 'national shortage occupation list' maintained by the Home Office, the government department managing immigration among other domestic issues. The change means that applications for work permits required to bring workers into the UK for the jobs will no longer need to be subject to a full resident labour market test.
The news was not welcomed by the GMB union, which called the change "short sighted" and said the UK should aim for self sufficiency in electricity supply, including a skilled labour force to run the industry.
John McNamara of the UK Nuclear Industry Association said he was confident the UK industry could effectively manage demand for nuclear skills. He said much was being done to train future workers and added that there was a major resurgence of interest among young people in the UK. Peter Kane of the Sellafield site told delegates at the GMB Congress that bringing in overseas workers would "undermine" efforts to train and educate enough British workers.
After years of neglect from government, nuclear power in the UK was made a high priority by a new set of energy policies in January. The country faces the retirement of all but one of its nuclear power reactors by 2023 as well as the closure of some large coal-fired units. In all, about 30% of the country's power generation equipment needs to be replaced in the next 15 years.
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