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Regional businesses have a great deal to offer candidates who forge a career in nuclear – as NRL’s Egremont Director Rebecca Graves discussed with In-Cumbria business magazine.
Cumbria is steeped in history when it comes to the nuclear sector, with Calder Hall being the world’s first commercial power station to begin producing nuclear energy in 1956. Over the decades, Cumbria has always been on the map when it comes to nuclear, from building the latest infrastructure to leading the way in decommissioning. With nuclear providing a green energy source to help the UK meet energy transition and net zero targets, it’s clear that it will continue to provide a bright future for people living and working in Cumbria.
For technical engineering recruitment specialists NRL, nuclear power in Cumbria is the core of their regional operations. Established in a small office near Seascale in 1983 to support non-destructive testing of pipework, they quickly recognised their capability to recruit the specialist skills needed to develop and operate nuclear power stations. Going on to grow their service expertise across multiple energy and engineering sectors, and global locations under the trusted NRL brand.
“Nuclear is a sector that’s accessible to everyone – regardless of gender or any other bias.”
Nuclear power is part of the landscape in Cumbria, with generations of families working across the supply chain. But with many of the workforce heading towards retirement and strong ambitions to advance technology such as small modular reactors, future projections indicate that more people than ever before will be needed to bring the future of nuclear to life.
For those who didn’t grow up around people who worked in nuclear though, it can be something of an unfamiliar sector – which NRL Director Rebecca Graves says often leads to common misunderstandings.
“Some people think that nuclear power is an unsafe sector, that’s just for men – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Today’s nuclear sector is about looking for innovative ways to generate power, harvesting capabilities to provide clean energy and scalable solutions that are always led by safety. Nuclear is a sector that’s accessible to everyone – regardless of gender or any other bias.
In fact, that’s something we’re passionate about highlighting here at NRL. Roles are available across the engineering space, as well as working across the supply chain. So there are various career options depending on whether you want to be at the front getting safely hands-on, or part of a team who are office based - sharing your ideas and helping to shape the sector’s future.
Personally, I’ve supported the nuclear sector in Cumbria for 19 years, providing recruitment solutions to help our clients identify transferable skills to attract more people into the sector, driving diversity and helping local people to secure rewarding career paths. It’s a sector I still find enjoyment from today, because there’s always something new and interesting to get involved with.”
Looking for support to attract a wider candidate pool for your organisation, then get in touch with Rebecca on rgraves@nrl.co.uk
You can read the full October issue of In-Cumbria business magazine online.