Nuclear Island gets funding go-ahead
10 Mar 2011
London – The employer-backed Nuclear Island skills project is being moved to the next stage following a successful funding bid by Cogent and Imperial College London to the National HE STEM programme.
The Nuclear Island will become an integral part of a number of UK STEM undergraduate courses: making nuclear safety culture an essential part of construction engineering courses, embedding critical safety behaviours from day one.
The funding will see a module developed in partnership with Imperial College London in association with universities across England and Wales. A trial will take place in June, with a view to roll out next Spring.
The National HE STEM programme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Wales (HEFCW), and its decision will secure the development and delivery of the Nuclear Island.
The Nuclear Island itself will be a “nationally available new build experience” for STEM students, said Cogent. This, it said, will involve partners across the UK, including the National Skills Academy Nuclear, ECITB, Construction Skills and professional bodies.
The initiative will establish partnerships between employers with higher and further education Institutes to tackle the critical future higher level workforce needs of nuclear new build, Cogent added.
The Nuclear Island project is being run through collaboration between Imperial College London, Cogent SSC, the Royal Academy of Engineering, Constructionarium, ECITB, and Construction Skills.
