Last week, Westminster hosted the Nuclear Industry Association’s Nuclear Week in Parliament, a high-profile event featuring over 20 learn and explore sessions attended by more than 1,000 industry representatives and 120 Parliamentarians. The event underscored the strategic importance of the nuclear sector in delivering clean energy, economic growth, future job opportunities, national security, and skills growth.

A key takeaway? Skills development, apprenticeships, and early careers are crucial for the sector’s future.

Addressing the Skills Gap and Future Workforce Challenges

One of the most pressing discussions throughout the week centred around skills shortages and the future workforce. With the nuclear sector poised for expansion, attracting and retaining talent remains a top priority. Recruitment challenges, particularly in ensuring local employment opportunities, were raised by MPs from across the country, with a strong focus on regions like the Southwest and Northwest.

Key topics included:

• The need for local talent development – importing skills from adjacent industries and across regions.
• Mid-career transitions – particularly for professionals retraining from industries such as oil and gas.
• Breaking down entry-level barriers – to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sector.
• Ensuring Nuclear is a career consideration – high-value, job opportunities with career longevity available across the sector.

The Nuclear Industry Association’s Skills and Apprenticeships Fair was a standout moment, with 100 apprentices and graduates from across the nuclear sector engaging with over 30 Parliamentarians, the event highlighted the crucial role apprenticeships play in future workforce development. However, as apprenticeship programmes grow, ensuring adequate mentoring and onboarding for apprentices and organisations remains a key challenge.

Government Engagement and Policy Support

The role of policy and government support in shaping nuclear skills development was evident throughout the discussions during the week. MPs highlighted the need for:

• Stronger alignment between skills strategies and national energy objectives.
• Ensuring that nuclear apprenticeship and training initiatives remain visible to policymakers.
• Continuous investment in skills funding and workforce development programmes to support sector growth.

Sector Collaboration: A Pathway to Success

Collaboration was a recurring theme throughout the week, with discussions highlighting the importance of syncing regional and national skills strategies. At the Nuclear Regions event, stakeholders explored ways to maximise supply chain opportunities and skill-sharing between different areas.

EDF held a session on the role f nuclear in national growth; discussions within the session further highlighted the need for a coordinated approach to workforce development, locally and nationally. While regional initiatives are valuable, ensuring they align with national objectives will be key to long-term success.

Across the events, it was clear that change and impact are happening real time, and that the sector is coming together, with passion and drive, to improve the nuclear sector for today and for the future.

Looking Ahead to a Skills-Driven Future for Nuclear

Nuclear Week in Parliament reaffirmed the industry’s importance in shaping the UK’s clean energy future. However, its success will depend on developing a skilled workforce, expanding apprenticeships, and ensuring a strong pipeline of early-career talent, as well as supporting organisations through these workforce developments.

At Cogent Skills, we are committed to supporting the next generation of nuclear professionals through high-quality apprenticeships, training, and workforce development programmes. By fostering collaboration between industry, government, and education providers, we can build a resilient and future-ready nuclear workforce.

The nuclear sector is not just about energy – it’s about people, skills, and long-term career opportunities. As we move forward, our collective focus must remain on empowering talent, promoting apprenticeships, and securing the UK’s position as a global leader in clean energy.

Cogent Skills Nuclear Workforce Assessment 2025

Cogent Skills produces the Nuclear Workforce Assessment bi-annually, with support and data input from key civil and defence nuclear stakeholders. The Nuclear Workforce Assessment forecasts the skills supply/demand from civil and defence sectors and provides insights to develop key skills interventions.

The Nuclear Workforce Assessment data is used to support the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills,. Launched in 2024, the Nuclear Skills Plan is a comprehensive skills strategy to support the anticipated growth across both civil and defence nuclear sectors. It focuses on 15 key projects to tackle skills gaps and develop a sustainable workforce for the UK’s nuclear sector.

Delivery of the first year of the Nuclear Skills Plan is underway and has already supported the entry of 4,000 early-career starters into the sector in 24/25, including over 1,300 graduates and 2,500 apprentices. An additional 20 nuclear fission PhD students have been funded as a direct result of the Nuclear Skills Plan, supporting a pipeline of future subject matter experts.

The Nuclear Workforce Assessment 2025 is due to be released in April via Cogent Skills.