‘Beacon of excellence’
Last updated 11:44, Wednesday, 30 April 2008
WEST Cumbria’s new £20m nuclear training academy will be a “beacon of excellence” for the industry, its chief executive has claimed.
The project, now known as Energus, will see Lillyhall, near Workington, become the north west flagship centre of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN).
The centre will employ between 100 and 150 staff and will offer courses for schoolchildren, school-leavers and adults in all aspects of energy production, including renewables.
It will form a key plank of the Government’s Energy Coast plan for west Cumbria.
Jean Llewellyn, chief executive of the NSAN, said: “Through our relationship with Energus, we aim to aid the centre in becoming a beacon of excellence within the Energy Coast initiative. It is an exciting project which is of high importance to the National Skills Academy for Nuclear and our partners and will be of socio-economic benefit to west Cumbria.”
The Lillyhall centre is due for completion in February next year and its first intake of students is due later in the same year. They are expected to be mainly Sellafield apprentices.
The change of name to Energus, announced last month, was intended to broaden its remit to include other types of energy production as well as nuclear – though nuclear is expected to be its bread and butter.
Dr Ian Hudson, chair of Energus and head of engineering and technology at the NDA, said: “Training and educating young people, reskilling the existing workforce and helping local business grow and prosper are all key objectives.”
