Memorandum 24
Submission from Prospect
INTRODUCTION
1. Prospect is a trade union representing
102,000 scientific, technical, managerial and specialist staff
in the Civil Service and related bodies and major companies. We
represent engineers across a range of disciplines and functions.
For example, our members are engaged in operational and technical
management and delivery, research and development and the establishment
and monitoring of safety standards. Substantial numbers of Prospect
members work in the energy, defence, transport and scientific
sectors. We are fortunate in being able to draw on this broad
range of knowledge and expertise to inform our views.
2. This submission firstly briefly addresses
the generic issues relating to engineering that have been identified
by the Select Committee and secondly provides evidence for the
nuclear engineering case study.
The role of engineering and engineers in UK society
3. It is the role of engineers and engineering
to identify and build on scientific concepts; to adapt and change
the concept into a "marketable" product; refine and
improve the design; maintain the equipment and extend the life
of the product and finally identify the replacement of the technology.
Despite many positive aspects of being an engineer and longstanding
programmes of work by professional engineering bodies, the role
of the engineer is still not well understood in the UK and it
is not widely perceived as a desirable career option. For example,
the Engineering Technology Board's Report "Engineering UK
2007" found that 57% of the public think that either they
are not very well informed or not at all informed about the work
of engineers. Just 5% of women and the same proportion of 16-19
year olds consider themselves to be well informed about the work
of engineers. According to WISE (Women into Science, Engineering
and Construction), 54% of young people associate engineering with
a dirty environment and 25% associate it with working in factories.
4. Prospect members who are engineers believe
that there is a tendency for management teams or policy-makers
to pigeon-hole them as "techies" who supply detailed
information which informs the organisation or policy, rather than
being the decision-makers themselves. Such an approach fails to
utilise engineers' training and skills is using a wide variety
of resources and bringing them together to form an optimum solution.
As engineers are highly numerate and literate, it is both surprising
and concerning that there are not more engineers occupying senior
management positions.
5. In practice engineers are likely to be
working as team members on developments that take place over a
period of time. At the stage that the final engineered product
is launched, it becomes a matter of commercial opportunity with
the focus on what the device can do. This wealth creation aspect
of engineering is certainly important, though the commercial focus
can eclipse any thought about the skill required in developing
the product. Perceptions of engineers are further clouded by describing
technicians who service or repair equipment as `engineers'. In
our view an engineer is a person who is capable of designing engineering
solutions. Prospect believes that there should be increased support
for the Engineering Council to help educate the public on the
status of professional engineers and engineering technicians.
In particular, action is needed to make the terms Chartered Engineer
and Incorporated Engineer generally recognised.
The role of engineering and engineers in UK's
innovation drive
6. Engineering is key to successful innovation.
Incremental improvement accounts for over 95% of product innovation
and it is Engineering that delivers this change. The most successful
companies will be those that instil a culture of continuous innovation,
backed up by structures and processes that make this a reality.
Of course innovation does not occur in a vacuum and, in this regard,
Lord Sainsbury's concept of an innovation ecosystem is useful.
As "The Race to the Top" points out as well as
sometimes competing and sometimes collaborating with each other,
companies interact with a range of other organisations including
banks, venture capitalists, universities and research institutes,
and public agencies in areas such as competition policy, regulation
and intellectual property rights. Prospect strongly endorses Sainsbury's
view that "A highly skilled workforce is essential. Skilled
labour is probably the least mobile factor of production, making
the domestic system of education and training a key part of any
innovation ecosystem and of crucial importance for policy makers".
7. In reality however, and as outlined below,
the UK is facing substantial skills shortages and gaps. High and
intermediate skills shortages have been prevalent in parts of
manufacturing, engineering and construction. A 2007 survey of
engineers and technicians by Remuneration Economics showed that
97% of companies had conducted a recruitment campaign for engineers
and/or technicians over the previous year and that 92% of these
companies had experienced problems in attracting suitable candidates.
Recruitment problems were attributed primarily to a lack of specialised
skills and to competition from other organisations. Among the
consequences of such difficulties reported in a 2006 labour market
survey for SEMTA[66]
are reduced staff morale, increased workforce stress levels, loss
of business orders, and restrictions on business development activities.
At the same time 84% of companies experienced problems retaining
their existing engineers and technicians. Furthermore, these sectors
face an ageing workforce profile, with Chartered and Incorporated
Engineers having a mean age of 55 and Engineering Technicians
with a mean age of 50. Action to address these issues will therefore
make a vital contribution both to supporting innovation and increasing
productivity.
The state of the engineering skills base in the
UK, including the supply of engineers and issues of diversity
8. Fulfilling the UK's engineering potential
depends on an ability to recruit and retain appropriately skilled
staff, underpinned by relevant education and a recognition that
training takes time and will not impact immediately on labour
supply. Over the last ten years the number of degrees awarded
in engineering and technology has fallen by 10% and in physical
sciences by 11%,[67]
and there remain considerable problems in improving diversity
across the sector. As shown in the table below, women remain under-represented
in SET occupations at all levels and this problem is particularly
acute in engineering professions.
Source: Labour Force Survey, analysed
by Institute for Employment Studies for UK Resource Centre
9. Results from a range of recent engineering
skills surveys demonstrate clearly both the nature and scale of
the challenge[68]:
- The number of FE learners in engineering,
manufacturing and technologies has fallen by over a quarter since
2002.
- Just 3% of engineering and 1% of construction
apprentices are female compared with 97% of child-care apprentices.
- Achievement rates for engineering and related
subject apprenticeships are around three-in-five.
- The proportion of undergraduate and postgraduate
students of engineering and technology subjects over the last
six years has declined from 9% to 6%. Just one in six of these
students is female.
- Nearly 30% of engineering and technology
HE students are from outside the UK. Further, there is anecdotal
evidence to suggest that at postgraduate level the majority are
non-UK students.
- Around 30% of engineering and technology
graduates and 25% of postgraduates enter work with employers in
the finance and business sectors.
- Although starting salaries for engineers
compare favourably with those for many graduate occupations, accountants,
solicitors and investment bankers typically start on 25-50% more.
-Salary levels for professional engineers generally
do not compare well with other professional groups, including
health and IT professionals as well as those in the legal and
finance sectors.
- Around three quarters of women who achieve
SET qualifications do not go into a SET job. There are just under
half a million women currently living in the UK who are qualified
in SET but only 135,000 are currently working in these sectors.
10. Feedback from Prospect's own members,
in line with that from employers and Sector Skills Councils, is
that there is a common need for leadership and project management
skills as well as for higher level technical skills. Employers
and practising engineers also highlight the need for multi-disciplined
craftspeople and graduates with relevant degrees and ready for
productive employment. Respondents to SEMTA's labour market survey
identified professional engineers, scientists and technologists
followed by technician engineers/engineering technicians as the
two occupational groups in which skills gaps were having the most
significant effect on business.
11. The experience of the heavy engineering
sector provides a good illustration of the challenges facing graduate
recruitment and training. Prior to the privatisation programme
of the 1980s and 1990s there were several large nationalised engineering
organisations in the country that could support a significant
training infrastructure. Key examples were the Central Electricity
Generating Board, British Telecom, British Aerospace, British
Leyland and the British Railways Board. These, in turn, were complimented
by large private sector manufacturing concerns such as GEC, Hawker
Siddeley and Marconi. These large organisations offered the opportunity
for graduate trainees to gain experience of a number of different
work areas, thus developing them to be more valuable than if they
were trained in a single department.
12. As each of these organisations had a
moderately dominant position in its sector, it was in the interests
of the organisation to recruit and train its own staff. There
were limited opportunities to "poach" experienced staff
from other organisations. Most of the major companies ran sponsored
studentships that provided financial rewards (bursaries &
holiday employment/training) to students. This ensured that there
was competition amongst the best performing students for places
on engineering courses.
13. However, since the 1980's there have
been a number of factors which have caused the engineering graduate
training infrastructure to collapse. Firstly, privatisation has
led to a move away from the public service ethos of the former
nationalised industries to a more commercial basis. Since training
graduates does not provide immediate financial benefits, it has
suffered accordingly. Secondly, the increased commercial focus
of the privatised industries has led to significant reductions
in workforces. Over the past 15-20 years engineering graduate
recruitment has been minimal, but companies have been able to
continue operating with reducing numbers of those staff recruited
prior to privatisation. In many cases, graduate roles have been
filled by staff moving upward from the shop floor. Whilst this
is, in general, an accepted and beneficial route for staff progression,
the lack of pure graduate recruitment is now leading to a serious
imbalance in some companies' workforces, with a lack of staff
with an academic background.
14. Secondly, economic drivers in some parts
of the sector have had a damaging effect. For example, the use
of framework contracts in the UK power sector, where fees per
task are agreed but work volumes are variable, has constrained
investment in skills by contractors. More broadly, Ofge3.m has
not supported any initiatives within the power sector to improve
training and development of staff.
15. Thirdly, privatisation has been accompanied
by fragmentation of not only the former nationalised industries
but most of the key companies (such as GEC) that have always been
in the private sector. Fragmentation has a number of knock-on
effects. These include reduced ability for graduate trainees to
gain the kind of wide-ranging experience that they could previously
within a single company. In addition, many of the fragmented companies
are now too small to support graduate training and hence resort
to recruit staff by poaching' from other organisations. Graduates
are now more likely to leave the company that provides their training
once they have completed it. Companies such as consultancy firms
that used to recruit experienced graduates from the major companies
are now recruiting graduates directly from University. The consultancies
are not able to give these graduates practical hands-on shop floor
type experience. The graduates that follow this route are therefore
lacking in practical experience.
The importance of engineering to R&D and the
contribution of R&D to engineering
16. R&D underpins innovation and it
underpins public good research, and engineering plays a key role
in both regards. Prospect has submitted evidence on previous occasions
to the Select Committee (and the predecessor Science and Technology
Select Committee) on the importance of a strengthened and coherent
framework for investment in public SET.[69]
We have similar concerns about business investment in R&D.
Data compiled by the OECD shows that the UK falls behind both
the EU and USA in terms of the contribution of business-based
R&D to GDP. The fact that less than 45% of the UK's R&D
is from the commercial sector is of serious concern, especially
as the Government has viewed the private sector as the main focus
for future economic growth. It would help if more companies sponsored
training in research through PhD programmes. As indicated above,
more overseas students take advantage of postgraduate study than
UK students. Whilst some of these remain in the UK and their expertise
is available to UK industry, many do not.
The roles of industry, universities, professional
bodies, Government, unions and others in promoting engineering
skills and the formation and development of careers in engineering
17. In our view, the industry is well positioned
to take the lead on skills development in collaboration with other
stakeholders. We would wish to see greater encouragement of the
involvement of unions in company training plans and initiatives.
Universities have a key role in training and research but there
is a need for links with industry to be strengthened. Public funding
of universities should recognise the social benefit of more expensive
engineering courses and the value of collaboration with industry
to produce sandwich courses that provide a more effective preparation
for entry to professional engineering.
18. Many Prospect members are also members
of an engineering professional body, and Prospect seeks to work
collaboratively with such bodies on projects of common interest.
Initiatives such as WISE and UKRC provide valuable expertise and
resources to enhance diversity, and Prospect has some involvement
with both bodies, although we accept that there is a need to enhance
the profile of this work across the trade union movement as well
as to ensure that it is more closely informed by trade union expertise
and priorities.
19. More broadly, unions are increasingly
playing a positive and proactive role in addressing skills issues,
including through involvement in Sector Skills Councils and National
Skills Academies-though these bodies very in their willingness
to genuinely engage with union representatives. However, this
role is of necessity pursued in parallel with unions' more traditional
functions of bargaining over pay and conditions and, with regrettable
regularity, over restructuring and redundancy. This sharp end
of dealing with careers that have been curtailed certainly does
not help in portraying a positive image of the profession and
undoubtedly contributes to the leaky " pipeline" between
engineering education and engineering employment.
20. As outlined in other evidence to the
Select Committee, we are concerned that policy and financial pressures
from central government can, in different ways, undermine both
R&D and educational capacity. For example, university may
have suffered as a result of pressures to achieve good research
ratings reducing time spent on providing or improving teaching
to undergraduates. Sudden cuts in funding, for example resulting
from financial pressures on research councils, can have a devastating
impact on the viability of university science and engineering
departments.
Nuclear Engineering Case Study
21. The slowdown in new nuclear construction
over the last two decades, both in the UK and globally, coupled
with reductions in nuclear fission R&D spending in many countries,
has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of skilled
personnel working in nuclear construction, in licensing and in
research and support industries. As the world returns to large-scale
nuclear new build on a scale not seen since the 1980s, and growing
activity is seen in the decommissioning and waste management sectors,
there will be a need for a major expansion in the supply of suitably
skilled personnel.
22. The situation in the UK is perhaps especially
marked owing to three factors-the entire absence of nuclear new
build since the completion of Sizewell B in 1995; the dearth of
new build in other forms of electricity generation since the end
of the first "dash for gas" in 2000, leaving another
industrial sector with skills shortages as the need for investment
in new power plants grows; and the age profile of those working
in the nuclear industry in the UK. Industry estimates indicate
that a certain proportion of the capacity needed for a new build
programme, perhaps some 20%, will need to be sourced from overseas,
even given investment in UK capacity over the next five years.
The nuclear industry will therefore find itself in competition
for key personnel, both with other industries (including other
sectors of the power industry) in the UK and with nuclear industries
in other countries.
23. There are a number of valuable initiatives
to address these potential skill shortages, including the National
Skills Academy for Nuclear, the Nuclear Doctorate Centre and the
Keeping the Nuclear Option Open programme. However, a major ongoing
effort involving all partners will be needed to provide the skills
to support the upswing in nuclear activity, both new-build and
clean-up, likely to be seen over the coming years.
24. Nuclear skills are likely to be required
in three main areas over the next decades:
- to carry out a programme of new build of
nuclear power stations, as discussed in the Government's Energy
White Paper of 2007[70]
and Nuclear White Paper of 2008[71];
- to maintain the continued operation of
the present fleet of nuclear power stations, including the possibility
of lifetime extension under some circumstances;
- to manage decommissioning and waste management
requirements caused by historical operations, ongoing operations
and the end of the lifetimes of currently operating plants.
25. The UK has domestic capacity to supply
most of the value of a new nuclear power plant (PWR of the EPR
or AP1000 design). The main gap is in the plant and equipment
category, where capability equivalent to some 20 % of the total
value of the project will need to be source from the global supply
chain.[72]
Although it is some time since a new power station construction
project was carried out in the UK, considerable industrial capacity
has been maintained to support existing nuclear power plants,
new build associated with the fuel cycle and decommissioning and
waste management activities. Furthermore, many of the skills needed
to build a nuclear power station are equally applicable to other
major engineering projects and so personnel in these areas could
be sourced from general engineering disciplines without an insuperable
need for nuclear specialists.
26. However, there are two important factors
that need to be considered. First, nuclear power plant construction
globally in the last decade has been considerably slower than
previously-some 85 % of current global nuclear capacity is over
15 years old-with consequent reductions in global manufacturing
and construction capacity in the field.
27. In the peak years for nuclear construction
so far, from 1982 to 1987, some 132 nuclear plants were connected
to grids globally, an average of 26 per year. By contrast, as
of December 2007 the total number of reactors under construction
globally was 34, just one more than were connected in the peak
year of 1984.
28. Secondly, there is a general shortage
of highly qualified engineers in the UK. This may have been disguised
by the dearth of construction of power plants of any description
since the end of the first "dash for gas" around the
year 2000, but there is now a need to invest in new power construction
of some description-some 30-35 GW over the next twenty years.
Around 8GW of new nuclear capacity needed simply to replace nuclear
plants coming off line if current levels of nuclear generation
are to be maintained-by no means all of which will be nuclear.
New installed capacity since 1991, UK (GW, cumulative)[73]
29. Companies involved in constructing new nuclear
plants in the UK are likely therefore to face competition both
from other engineering concerns in the UK and from the projected
upswing in nuclear construction globally.
30. This problem is not specific to the
UK. In 2000 the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency, NEA, published a
report reflecting on the following challenges for the sector.[74]
"In most countries there are now fewer
comprehensive, high-quality nuclear technology programmes at universities
than before. The ability of universities to attract top-quality
students to those programmes, meet future staffing requirements
of the nuclear industry and conduct leading-edge research in nuclear
topics is becoming seriously compromised".
31. The situation in the UK is particularly
serious because since the 1980s, public investment in nuclear
fission research in the UK has fallen by more than 95% and the
industrial R&D skills base has decreased by more than 90%.[75]10
The challenge is exacerbated by the age profile of the UK nuclear
workforce. Fewer than 6% of the estimated 100,000 people who work
in the industry (including 23,500 at degree level) are under 24,
while 31 % are aged 45 and over.[76]
At British Energy plc up to 40% of staff are expected to retire
within the next ten years. A report by Cogent, the Sector Skills
Council (SSC) that covers the nuclear industry, identified that
72% of employers in the industry have reported skills gaps. Project
management, technical and practical skills were the most frequent
areas cited[77].
Over half of employers found that the gaps hindered their "customer
service objectives". The industry is expected to need up
to 1,000 new graduates a year for the next 15 years, to replace
retiring staff, continue operating power plants and provide skills
to manage the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)'s programme
of decommissioning nuclear reactors when they have reached the
end of their operating lives.
32. However, there has been encouraging
progress, both through the National Skills Academy for Nuclear
and the re-establishment of a number of nuclear engineering courses
at universities, notably since the Council for Science and Technology
published a report in May 2005, entitled "An Electricity
Supply Strategy for the UK". Cogent and Energy &
Utility Skills SSCs have undertaken a full assessment of the current
situation and are developing strategic plans with their client
industries and other interested parties to ensure that the needs
of the energy sector are met. The National Skills Academy for
Nuclear aims, in its first three years, to deliver 800 apprentices
and around 150 Foundation degrees as well as upskilling and retraining
a further 4,000 existing employees. Research Councils are spending
£40 million per annum on energy R&D and this has significant
effects on the supply of high-level skills. The Energy Technology
Institute will add up to £100 million per annum of extra
funding.
33. Furthermore training and research activities
have increased in universities, including:
- the Nuclear Technology Education Consortium's
offer of 20 modules at Masters level;
- seven universities participating in the
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded
research programme Keeping the Nuclear Option Open;
- EPSRC supporting the Nuclear Doctorate
Centre, a collaboration between Manchester's Dalton Institute
and Imperial College London;
- Lancaster University providing an undergraduate
course in nuclear engineering.
34. The then BNFL supported the establishment
of four university research alliances URAs-radiochemistry (Manchester),
particle science and technology (Leeds), immobilisation science
(Sheffield) and materials performance (also at Manchester)-to
underpin critical skills areas.
35. However, given the growing need for
replacement power capacity of various kinds it is likely that,
even if the UK can supplement the purchase of plant and equipment
from the global nuclear market, there will be a need further to
increase the supply of graduates with appropriate skills. Many
of the other countries covered in the NEA report have taken action.
For example, USA has increased its university budget for nuclear
science and engineering research by £240m while France has
pledged over £600m per year to the CEA civilian R&D programme
and several Pacific Rim countries are investing in nuclear R&D.
36. The Nuclear Energy Agency has identified
a number of actions for Government which it believes would be
beneficial in addressing these challenges. Prospect supports these,
though we think that other parts of the energy sector would also
benefit from the same approach. These include:
- engaging in strategic energy planning,
including consideration of education, manpower and infrastructure;
- taking responsibility for, or at least
make a major contribution towards, integrated planning to ensure
that human resources are available to meet necessary obligations
and address outstanding issues;
- supporting, on a competitive basis, young
students and providing adequate resources for vibrant nuclear
research and development programmes including modernisation of
facilities; and
- providing support to encourage the development
of educational networks among universities, industry and research
institutes.
The UK's engineering capacity to build a new
generation of nuclear power stations and carry out planned decommissioning
of existing nuclear power plants
37. The nuclear industry has carried out
a detailed study of the skills requirements to support a new build
nuclear power programme, using the Areva EPR and the Mitsubishi/Westinghouse
AP1000 Pressurised Water Reactors as reference designs.[78]
Typically a nuclear power plant comprises of 55% plant and equipment,
30% civil engineering and 15% project management and technical
support. Plant and equipment includes the manufacture and provision
of plant and equipment and site installation and commissioning
of plant and equipment. Civil engineering and construction involves
the provision of all civil construction materials and services,
construction of the main power station (nuclear and turbine island)
and construction of infrastructure (balance of plant). Programme
management and technical support includes project management and
services, nuclear safety and licensing, infrastructure surveys,
studies and design, the Environmental Impact Assessment and support
for the planning application and Public Inquiry.
38. The Nuclear Industries Association (NIA)
estimates that at present the UK could source some 70% of the
full project from existing capabilities, and that this could rise
to 80% or more with investment in facilities and the training
of new personnel over the next five years.
39. As far as decommissioning is concerned,
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) Strategy[79]
notes that although some of the work is highly skilled and unique
to that process (for example, removing spent fuel from reactors
and retrieving and treating radioactive waste), there are several
areas that share skills with other industries such as demolition
work, construction, finance and mechanical engineering. Tapping
into other industries for skills will provide a healthy cross-fertilisation
of ideas and the transfer of good practice. However, as the Strategy
also notes, this may also result in competition across industry
sectors for certain types of high-demand skills such as project
management.
40. NDA's Life Cycle Baselines (LCBLs) show
a slow decline in required employee numbers over the next 10 years
or so. After about 15 years-at a time when new nuclear build might
be in full flow-the decline is expected to accelerate and before
reaching a plateau. In around 35 years there is a projected small
increase in NDA-linked activity associated with the assumed date
for the development of the long-term ILW management facility before
falling again to the previous level after five years. Only in
about 80 years' time (when Magnox reactor decommissioning and
final site clearance is currently planned to begin) do job numbers
rise significantly again.
41. NDA argues that such a fluctuating employment
profile raises serious issues for both the NDA and for the regional
economies of the nuclear site communities and that the pattern
of employment will make it difficult to ensure that the necessary
skills base is available over such a protracted time period.
42. NDA identified a number of key issues:
- ageing of the nuclear industry workforce;
- absence of a consistent picture across
the nuclear industry on long-term skills needs;
- competition and the increased use of contractors
to deliver the decommissioning and clean-up mission, adding to
the need to maintain a focus on long-term national skills requirements;
- the present focus of university courses,
skills initiatives and standards which reflects the historic focus
on operations, rather than the growing need for decommissioning
and clean-up skills;
- the difficulty that many communities in
which the NDA operates will face in handling significant peaks
and troughs in employment trends.
The value in training a new generation of nuclear
engineers versus bringing in expertise from elsewhere
43. Sourcing engineers from overseas, while
inevitable in at least the early days of a new programme, carries
with it two drawbacks. First, for the high-value-added end of
the industry to be outsourced would represent a missed opportunity
for investment in high quality sustainable jobs in the UK. These
are jobs that could play an important part in a general revival
in engineering and especially in power engineering.
44. Secondly, to be become dependent on
international sources of expertise would be to enter an uncertain
environment characterized by competition for key skills. The NEA
report raises a number of international concerns:
- decreasing number and the dilution of nuclear
programmes;
- decreasing number of students taking nuclear
subjects;
- lack of young faculty members to replace
ageing and retiring faculty members;
- ageing research facilities and non-replacement
of closed facilities;
- significant fraction of nuclear graduates
not entering the nuclear industry;
- provision of suitable trainers because
of the situation in universities.
45. The greater the extent to which the
UK is dependent on international markets for key nuclear skills,
the more vulnerable it will be to shortages in that market and/or
increases in the cost of such personnel.
The role that engineers will play in shaping
the UK's nuclear future and whether nuclear power proves to be
economically viable.
46. It can be argued that moving from a
nationalistic approach, whereby each country developed its own
bespoke approach to plant design and construction, to one in which
common designs are built and sourced across many countries will
be beneficial. The UK in particular, by pursuing gas-cooled technology
for its second generation of nuclear plants (the AGRs), has suffered
from a degree of isolation from global expertise. Further, the
consequences of constructing a series of differently designed
plants even within overarching the AGR concept included failure
to benefit from series economies of scale or from learning curve
effects. There are clear advantages in being able to demonstrate
that a new nuclear power programme will be both more economic
in construction and maintenance and more efficient in operation.
That said, the role of UK engineering will not reach its full
potential unless both R&D and manufacturing capability is
retained and enhanced.
47. Highly effective engineers will also
have a key role in ensuring that construction and operation of
whichever designs are chosen as the basis of investment in new
build in the UK is carried out successfully in economic terms.
Because of its highly capital intensive nature, overruns in the
construction phase (in terms of time or cost), and poor operation
in the early years after grid connection, have much more negative
outcomes for nuclear stations than say for CCGT. Having an effective
domestic nuclear engineering capacity available will therefore
be crucial in ensuring the economic performance of new build projects
and it would be an uncomfortable position for the UK to find itself
dependant on a global supply of such engineers over which inevitably
the UK would have little real influence.
The overlap between nuclear engineers in the power
sector and the military
48. There is a considerable overlap between
engineers in the civil power sector and the military. This applies
in particular to the submarine nuclear propulsion programme rather
than the weapons programme. Many companies (such as Serco, Amec
and British Nuclear Group) undertake both civil and military contracts,
and individual engineers may work on both at times. In addition
many naval personnel retire relatively young (perhaps at 45 or
50). This results in a stream of highly-trained nuclear engineers
and artificers (technicians) moving into civilian nuclear jobs.
March 2008
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