Rolls-Royce to launch skills academy for nuclear training

Rolls-Royce has announced it will open a new skills academy in Derby dedicated to nuclear training.

And as part of its drive to boost nuclear capability in the UK and create a pipeline for nurturing talent, Rolls-Royce Submarines has said it will create 200 new apprenticeships every year for at least the next 10 years, starting from September.

The Nuclear Skills Academy will be supported by industry and education experts, including the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), the National College for Nuclear, the University of Derby and Derby City Council.

For 60 years, Rolls-Royce has provided the power for all of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines from its base in Raynesway.

Steve Carlier, president of Rolls-Royce’s submarines business, said: “We are proud of our unique nuclear capability, and we are fortunate enough to have some of the smartest minds on the planet working for us.

“But we must maintain this capability if we want to continue to innovate and evolve.”

The new apprenticeships will be spread across four courses: Nuclear Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, Business Degree Apprenticeship, Nuclear Engineering Technician Apprenticeship and Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship.

Lee Warren, submarines engineering and technology director at Rolls-Royce, said: “All four courses offer debt-free, higher education qualifications while earning a wage within an exciting and growing business that supports the UK’s net carbon ambitions.

“If you know someone who is finishing school or college, rethinking university debt, or even already in work and looking for a change of career, our apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity.

“Our new academy will not only maintain and develop our nuclear capability for years to come, but it will also provide invaluable STEM qualifications for hundreds of individuals at the very start of their careers.

“Generations of submariners have put their faith in our nuclear expertise and our new academy will mean we can keep providing them with cutting edge technology to keep them, and the UK, safe.”

Mr Carlier said: “Being born and bred in Derby, I am immensely proud that we are playing our part in further boosting the area’s reputation for engineering excellence.

“The UK is embarking on a nuclear renaissance, and we are determined to make the East Midlands the home of nuclear expertise for decades to come.”