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Local jobs and skills grow as firms prepare for Suffolk’s next nuclear power project

Three East Anglian firms have taken on 67 people in last year

A further 11 new apprentices were recruited by same companies

20 apprentice-level opportunities to train in brand-new construction tech now open

As Suffolk prepares to host the UK’s next nuclear power station, firms across the region are opening new high-paid jobs and apprenticeships for local residents – including 11 new apprenticeships, and 67 new jobs, in the last 12 months.

These include Castons, an Ipswich-based construction consultancy, which has more than doubled its workforce – from 30 in 2020 to 79 in February 2023, including 22 hires in the last year. Castons is committed to upskilling local young people and fully supports six apprentices, alongside one T-Level student from Suffolk New College. After graduating, Castons continues to support apprentices to obtain their professional surveying qualification, setting them up for a career in the sector.

In Norfolk, local businesses like Armultra, a Great Yarmouth based engineering company, have also been able to recruit and train more local talent. Last year, they hired 22 employees, of which 96% came from the local area, and over half of which were entry-level positions. Working local colleges, Armultra was also able to take on five apprentices. With Sizewell C on the horizon, Armultra is looking to hire a further three apprentices – who will earn £22,000 salary alongside full-time training and mentorship at the company’s brand-new workshop.

In Cambridgeshire, Force One is currently recruiting 20 new apprentice-level employees, who will learn how to operate cutting-edge remote-controlled excavator machines at a brand-new training centre, at their March-based site. As part of their training, they will receive an HGV licence, helping to plug one of the UK’s critical skills gaps. This comes after 67 employees were hired in the last two years, as Force One invested in the new training centre and accompanying offices.

Already, 249 East England firms across the nuclear supply chain, have received over £1.1 billion through work on Hinkley Point C. The Suffolk Chamber of commerce expects this figure to grow significantly as work begins on new nuclear projects, including Sizewell C in Suffolk. The Chamber currently predicts that this will create “thousands” more local jobs and apprenticeships across East Anglia.

Castons Director, Peter Dring, said “Sizewell C is a rare opportunity on our doorstep to hire and train significant numbers of people. For us, it’s really important that local people don’t have to leave to find good work. This is why we’re so committed to upskilling the community – so they can access jobs with us, and work locally”.

“We’re already expanding our nuclear workforce as work grows in the sector. Sizewell C will allow us, as a local business, to train even more local talent than ever in these high-demand skills” explained Armultra’s director, Tom Beales.

“We’ve been able to make this massive investment because of work on Hinkley Point C. Sizewell will allow us to keep all that talent, while training local people so that they can work on site in Suffolk” explained Sean Strohman, Business Development Manager at Force One.

“Right now, Sizewell C is the biggest opportunity we have to grow jobs and skills in the nuclear industry. By building on success at Hinkley Point C we’ll be able to harness and grow the UK’s nuclear supply chain – right here in Suffolk,” said Steve Carroll of the Sizewell C Supply Chain.

“While it’s incredibly exciting to see employment growth, this is only a fraction of what’s to come” explained Ashley Shorey-Mills of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. “As Sizewell C is built, we’re going to see an even more significant rise in job opportunities. This means more and more talent will be able to look to the East for high-quality, well-paid employment”.