“What we offer is a vocational programme, the whole goal of which is to support the nuclear industry,” says Gavin Smith of The University of Manchester. NTEC was formed in 2005 to tackle concerns that not enough students were graduating from UK universities to meet the needs of the nuclear sector, be it in operation, decommissioning or new build. It was set up following detailed consultations with the whole of the UK nuclear sector including businesses, regulators, the Ministry of Defence, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, government departments and the Cogent Sector Skills Council.

Seven institutions – the universities of Birmingham, Central Lancashire, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, as well as the Nuclear Department, Navy Command – provide 16 different course units that are directly taught. Nine of these are also available in a distance-learning format, with another six units being converted over the next couple of years. Students graduate with an MSc, a postgraduate certificate, a diploma or a continuous professional development (CPD).

Bespoke training

The NTEC courses are distinctive in that they are aimed at both graduates straight out of university and industry professionals seeking to broaden their skills and knowledge. “A unique aspect of our courses is the delivery method,” says Smith, who explains that each course unit is taught in a one week short-format method. “Instead of a student having a course delivered over a one-hour slot every Monday morning at nine o’clock for a full semester, they take eight course units for the full MSc, and study each one for a week at one of the member universities.”

Each course unit includes about 35 hours of direct contact, but totals around 150 hours when including pre- and post-coursework, exams and study time. This approach allows the training to be accessed by people working in industry, who might find it easier to take one week out of a work schedule, rather than attending a full semester of classes. “They can do a part-time course over three years, where they do four modules in year one, four modules in year two and then do their project in year three,” says Smith. “That’s the kind of model we were told by industry that they prefer, rather than having day release or losing an employee for a full year.” The course offers a broad scope of choice and flexibility, with supervisors providing recommendations depending on the interests of each student.

Broad spectrum

NTEC encourages applications from graduates with a wide variety of science and engineering backgrounds, including those with degrees in aerospace, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, materials, mechanical engineering and, of course, physics. Applicants straight from university will be required to have at least a 2:2 degree in a relevant discipline.

For applicants with some years’ industrial experience, a lesser qualification may be acceptable. However, each application is considered individually – the main criterion being whether a registering university believes that a potential student has a good chance of completing the programme successfully.

As part of the degree, full-time students also undertake a research project during the summer. “We start thinking about projects around April, and we encourage most full-time students to do the project within industry,” says Smith. “This gives them a flavour of industry and provides a stepping stone between university life and going into industry once they’ve finished their studies.”

Our course was formed on the basis of a big stakeholder consultation, to see what industry wants today and what it needs in the future.

Gavin Smith

Part-time students do their project in their third year, mostly at their own company, which Smith says lets them “contribute to their employer’s goals and research requirements”.

Practical experience

One former full-time NTEC student is Saralyn Thomas, who now works in the nuclear industry. “It’s such a fantastic place to work, and it truly is an exciting time to join the industry with increased support from the UK government on various nuclear projects as the world comes to fully appreciate that net zero needs nuclear,” says Jackson. “Pursuing a career in the nuclear industry was the best decision I have ever made – the second best being the NTEC course, which opened those doors for me.”

For Thomas, the course gave her the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals, some of whom were already working in the nuclear sector. “It also gave me a fantastic insight into what it would be like to work in different areas of the industry,” says Thomas, for whom a summer placement at the National Nuclear Laboratories through NTEC cemented her desire to join the nuclear industry. “If we are to meet our net zero goals with nuclear as a key part of that energy mix, it is critical that we get the right people into the industry so we can fills the skills shortage which we currently face in the sector – and NTEC is just the course you need to equip yourself with those skills.”

Another former full-time NTEC student is Sophie Jackson, who has now worked in the nuclear industry for more than six years. Her job involves ensuring nuclear material is safe and reducing the risks as low as reasonably practicable. Jackson has worked in many areas from fuel enrichment to decommissioning, none of which she says would have been possible without attending the NTEC Masters degree.

“I studied from 2014 to 2015 and can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” says Jackson. “The course prepares you for industry like no other, it is designed by industry for industry professionals and students wanting to kick start a career in nuclear.”

Before finishing the course, she had already been accepted for a job as a nuclear safety engineer at BAE Systems Submarine Ltd, having met the team at its Barrow site organised by NTEC. “You have the chance to meet many nuclear professionals throughout the course which helped me know what area I wanted to work in and allowed me to develop relationships with professionals in the nuclear industry,” she adds.

Students on the NTEC courses also benefit from lectures given by external industrial experts as well as an annual bespoke careers fair. “We invite all the nuclear companies that support the programme, so that students are able to talk to them about projects and possible employment once they complete their studies,” says Smith.

The consortium has an external advisory board, to ensure that the course quality does not drop, and that its content is relevant. As Smith points out: “Ultimately our course was formed on the basis of a big stakeholder consultation, to see what industry wants today and what it needs in the future.”