Cogent Skills Safety Culture Solutions is proud to announce that we have been named in the top three at the Nuclear Skills Awards 2026, shortlisted for the Best Employer & Training Provider Partnership Award with AWE Nuclear Security Technologies (AWE).
The award recognises employer–provider partnerships that go beyond traditional delivery models to create meaningful, measurable impact. It celebrates collaborations that strengthen workforce capability, support safe operations, and raise standards across the UK nuclear sector.
The partnership between Cogent Skills Safety Culture Solutions and AWE began in 2013, when AWE required support in strengthening Process Safety Management (PSM) awareness across its operations.
Working in collaboration, Cogent Skills partnered with AWE to fully understand the priorities and challenges, and to design and deliver a bespoke training programme aligned to recognised Process Safety Management industry standards. The programme was tailored to AWE’s operational context and embedded within its organisation to support safety performance.
The result is a suite of AWE-branded courses that align to the Industry Training Standards, meet the requirements of SEVESO and incorporate the World Association of Nuclear Operators principles. The PSM Industry Training Standards were developed in 2009 by the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board (PSMCPB) and have been the key benchmark for process safety training since 2010. They are recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as best practice and have been used by more than 300 organisations globally.
The programme was built around AWE’s operational context. It incorporates case studies, leadership messaging and real-world scenarios to ensure learning is engaging, practical, relevant and directly applicable to all attendees. A Train-the-Trainer model enables AWE to build its own internal delivery capability and deliver training flexibly across various shifts and locations, while maintaining consistent quality and assurance.
Over time, the partnership has expanded to support capability across all levels of the organisation. This includes Process Safety Management for Operations (PSMO) for supervisors and operators in AWE, Process Safety Awareness (PSA) for wider teams, and a tailored Process Safety Leadership (PSL) programme for senior leaders.
This approach has delivered clear and measurable impact within AWE. It has strengthened competence, improved confidence in decision-making, and supported safer outcomes in practice.
“This partnership with AWE is a strong example of how bespoke, industry-led training can make a real difference in high-hazard environments. By aligning to industry standards and tailoring delivery to operational needs, we’ve been able to support meaningful improvements in competence, confidence and safety performance. AWE is a shining example of how to embed a positive and measurable process safety culture across its workforce. Being recognised for this award is a great reflection of the commitment and collaboration across both teams.”
Alex Slater, Business Unit Leader, Safety Culture Solutions
Beyond AWE, the partnership reflects Cogent Skills’ determined approach to supporting specialised industries. It demonstrates how our bespoke, standards-aligned training can be adapted and scaled to meet the needs of complex, safety-critical environments across nuclear and other sectors. We look to leave a lasting legacy within organisations, giving them the tools to be confident that they are working to best practice.
Being recognised as runners-up is a strong endorsement of this approach, and of what can be achieved when employers and training providers work in genuine partnership to build a safe, skilled and resilient workforce.
