November 02, 2020

Nuclear 2020: Roadmap to Net Zero, the industry’s leading annual nuclear conference, will take place on Thursday 3 December as a virtual event and exhibition.

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Now in its 20th year, the conference will bring together speakers from across all parts of the nuclear industry to update and discuss key developments in decommissioning, nuclear new build, export opportunities, skills and much more.

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Nuclear 2020 will be free for delegates to attend. All participants will have access to:

• Plenary Sessions with leading speakers from across the energy sector, including the Minister for Energy

• Plenary sessions on nuclear’s role in our Net Zero Future

• Updates on the resilience of the nuclear industry during COVID-19

• Insights on the latest world-class innovations in the UK nuclear industry, from decommissioning to small modular reactors and fusion technology

• Digital platforms for one-to-one networking

• Q&A with speakers through our chat function

• Exhibitions showcasing business opportunities across the nuclear sector

September 28, 2020

The Nuclear Next Generation (NNG) Working Group plans to alleviate the skills gap by attracting fresh talent and helping people from other industries transfer to nuclear.

Daniel Moore from the CQI talks to the NNG’s Steering Group Committee to find out more about the NNG’s objectives and how we intend to tackle the demographic crisis, following its soft launch on 1st October 2020. 

September 28, 2020

NucSIG update from the SIG chair Amanda McKay provided to CQI within the Sept / Oct issue of Quality World magazine. 

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Amanda speaks about the objectives of the SIG moving forward with some great achievements advised and what has been planned by NucSIG for the coming months including planned events. 

Read More, click here

January 29, 2020

GETI 2020: nuclear professionals perceive lack of loyalty from employers

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• Only 35 per cent of nuclear professionals believe their organisation is loyal to employees

• More respondents are dissatisfied with career progression opportunities than are satisfied

• However, fewer than one-in-four professionals are concerned about a lack of regular training – a lower figure than any other energy sector

LONDON, UK, 28 January 2020, The fourth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI), the world’s largest energy recruitment and employment trends report, is released today, showing nuclear industry professionals are concerned at a perceived lack of loyalty from their employers.

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The report by Airswift, the global workforce solutions provider for the energy, process and infrastructure sectors, and Energy Jobline, the world’s leading jobsite for the energy and engineering industries, reveals that fewer than half (45 per cent) of sector professionals believe that their organisation is loyal to its employees, while 35 per cent report a lack of loyalty.

This could prove cause for concern, since, although the nuclear workforce is highly engaged, 37 per cent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the career progression opportunities on offer – six per cent more than those who declared themselves satisfied.

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However, professionals are more positive about the training opportunities on offer. Fewer than four-in-ten nuclear professionals expressed concerns about a lack of regular training and just 23 per cent say they have had no access to training in the last year – both figures the lowest of all sectors surveyed.

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Janette Marx, Chief Executive Officer at Airswift, says: “The nuclear sector has a hard-earned reputation for steadiness. This is undoubtedly a solid foundation for successful talent retention. But it doesn’t guarantee that the workforce will stay put.

“Nuclear employers now need to focus on making professionals feel valued. Better communication of the career progression opportunities available is an important task, as is realigning the types of training provided with the preferred learning styles of recipients.”

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In addition to providing much needed insights into professionals’ satisfaction with training and a number of wider cultural issues, GETI is also the industry’s most comprehensive salary and mobility study. Key findings within the nuclear industry include:

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• Remuneration continues to rise. More than half (54 per cent) of professionals have seen an increase in pay over the past year, with 16 per cent reporting a raise of more than five per cent

• Two-thirds (68 per cent) of non-hiring professionals expect further pay increases in 2020, with 22 per cent eyeing raises above five per cent. Hiring managers report broadly the same expectations: 70 per cent and 28 per cent respectively

• Seventy-seven per cent of professionals would consider relocating to another region for their job, with career progression opportunities the number one factor attracting talent to a region

• Power, renewables and oil and gas are all sources of competition for talent, winning the votes of 32 per cent, 31 per cent and 30 per cent of those open to switching sectors, respectively

Hannah Peet, Managing Director at Energy Jobline, says: “Competition for talent in the energy industry keeps getting tougher and tougher, with an already globally mobile workforce now clearly very willing to switch to whichever sector presents the best opportunities.

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“The nuclear sector’s stability is a powerful weapon in its arsenal for both recruitment and retention. The challenge ahead is to balance the advantages of such a steady environment with the exciting progression opportunities of a more dynamic one.”

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October 15, 2019

In keeping with the CQI’s celebration milestone theme for 2019 as the institutes centenary year NucSIG have produced an article based on the past, present and future of the special interest group (SIG) in readiness for World Quality Day on the 14th November 2019.

Let us take you back through the years from when NucSIG was originally formed from a concept between the NucSIG founders to fruition with the help of our steering group and fantastic membership, to advise what NucSIG are currently involved with from events, nuclear competency and the new nuclear body of knowledge launched this year and finally to what the future holds for NucSIG with the NNG now formed and working under NucSIG’s leadership.     

World Quality Day is a chance for us as Quality professionals to continually promote the Quality profession within our own institutes, companies, projects and teams and is a chance for us to recognise and celebrate the contributions and achievements we have made as quality profession empowering organisations to succeed along the way. We hope you enjoy the document and are keen to hear your thoughts and obtain your support for the future of the SIG with the NNG in mind.

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October 15, 2019

Welcome to our latest newsletter, its been a while since our last one and we hope in the future to issue them more regularly to keep in touch with membership of the group. Since taking over the Chair of NucSIG from Mike there have been changes to our membership and some substantial changes to our governance from the CQI, particularly a more active participation from the membership team.

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July 17, 2019

Why is training and development so important Rick Ellis from the NucSIG steering group explains why. 

The next generation of professional are of great importance to our industry and to the Quality profession as a whole, the NNG working under NucSIG are starting to working with the next generation to ensure our sector has the competent quality professionals for years to come. 

Also see NNG area for next generation details of joining NucSIG and NNG.  Link at the bottom of the page. 

May 26, 2019

James Brown Quality Manager at James Fisher Nuclear Limited, Secretary for CQI’s Nuclear Special Interest Group (NucSIG), and chair of the Nuclear next generations NNG talks to Alicia Dimas about the importance of Quality and the next generation of quality professional. 

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May 02, 2019

You are cordially invited to the next CQI NucSIG event which will be held at:

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EDF Energy, Hunterston B Power Station,West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, KA23 9QX on Thursday13th June 2019 at 09.00am

Entitled:

‘Culture for Nuclear Safety’ (Detailed programme to be announced)

There will also be an update from NucSIG, and the upcoming launch of the revised “Nuclear Quality Knowledge”

Speakers include representation from ONR, Operational Site Licensee’s, EDF Nuclear New Build, & New Build Supply Chain

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To obtain a place for the event email sonya.mcmanus@edf-energy.com before the 24th May with the following information:-

• Name

• Organisation

• Position

• Daytime Contact Number

• Any Special dietary or other needs

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March 27, 2019

You are cordially invited to the next CQI NucSIG event which will be held at:

The Library, Eighth Street, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RL on Wednesday 27th March 2019 09.00 to 15.00

Entitled:

“What is important about Project Quality in the Nuclear Sector? – Session Two”

Speakers from Nuvia, Balfour Beatty, Sellafield, Taylor Woodrow, Jacobs & James Fisher.

This is a follow-up event considering the challenges of managing quality within projects in the nuclear sector and also understanding how we can attract and manage Quality Apprentices in our businesses.

As usual the event will give ample opportunity for sharing and networking.

The event is kindly hosted by Nuvia. http://www.nuvia.co.uk/

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April 03, 2018

NucSIG is pleased to announce that we are refreshing the leadership of the SIG as Mike Underwood  is retiring from the post of Chair and the steering group as a whole but he will continue to support the SIG into the future.

Amanda McKay who many of you will know as a member of the CQI Board of Trustees is taking the role as Chair forthwith. 

Iain McNair is also retiring as the Vice Chair and handing this role to Richard Hibbert who has been the Steering Group representative for the South of England for several years.

Iain will remain on the Steering Group, whilst the supporting guidance for the imminently to be published standard ISO 19443 (for nuclear suppliers) is prepared.

I’m sure you will all wish Amanda and Richard success in their new voluntary roles and also extend your upmost thanks and gratitude to Mike Underwood and Iain McNair for many years of service, support and guidance in and around the NucSIG and the nuclear sector as a whole.

March 15, 2018

GETI 2018 is the second edition of the GETI series, a comprehensive report released to the global energy industry on an annual basis.

The GETI report makes for very interesting reading for the Nuclear sector with some key KPI's relating to legacy issues such as the sectors demographic and skills shortage that NucSIG are already working on this year.

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It is also surprising to see that the key % areas of nuclear sector work are in Australia (37%) and Asia (48%) with Europe only having a 6% stake overall.

Pay within the sector seems to be stabilized with increases in pay evident from the information obtained, with sector personnel being happier or remaining the same from that of last year due to flexible working and a relaxed working environment.    

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The worrying facts however can be clearly seen from the report for both the demographic with only 1% of people who completed the survey in the sector were aged 24 or below and a clear skills gap / shortage reported as one of the biggest challenges of the sector along with retaining existing talent.  

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Have a read of the nuclear section of the report and let us know what you think.

January 22, 2018

What is important about Project Quality in the Nuclear Sector?”

The event will feature speakers from Cavendish Nuclear, Horizon Nuclear Power, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and to get a perspective from outside the nuclear sector United Utilities.

At the event we will consider the challenges of managing quality within projects in the nuclear sector.

As usual the event will give ample opportunity for sharing and networking.

To book your place please follow the instructions from the attached flyer.

December 08, 2017

It is that time of year again when the NucSIG review the years progress and identify plans for the coming year.  Please find linked below the NucSIG 2017 review and Christmas news letter.

We have a very exciting 2018 ahead with the update of the NucSIG NQK and with the release of the long awaited ISO 19443 with the SIG's continuing support of the nuclear sector as a whole and to also promote the adoption of ISO 19443 by the sectors supply chain when issued.

December 04, 2017

You may have already seen the latest NIA reported across Social Media today, showing the economic contribution made by the nuclear industry to the UK economy clearly displaying just how valuable the nuclear industry is to the UK as a whole.

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click the link below for more info.

The IAEA have recently held a Technical Meeting on “Management and Leadership of Nuclear Power Projects from New Build to Decommissioning”, in Vienna 7-10 August 2017

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All the meeting presentations, workshop materials etc are available through the IAEA’s MSN network here

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The IAEA are also holding a Technical Meeting on “Recent Developments in International and National Management System Standards, Including Quality Management Aspects” in Vienna, 28 November–1 December 2017. If you wish to participate then this can be done here https://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Meetings/2017/2017-11-28-12-01-NPES.html

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In addition to the above the International Conference on Quality, Leadership and Management in the Nuclear Industry – 15th Joint Foratom – IAEA Workshop on Management Systems will be held in Ottawa, Canada, 16-19 July 2018 and If you wish to participate then this can be done here

A new trailblazer pathway for nuclear quality professionals was considered to be the way forward as Sellafield already has a scheme that has been approved. It was agreed the nuclear engineer and nuclear scientist route would be used and a new quality engineer degree pathway was established

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A programme of work-based activities, aligned with the academic studies, has been developed for the apprentices who will be employed four days a week within their parent companies to undertake business-related activities.

These activities are designed to give the apprentices practical hands-on learning, and support the CQI Competency Framework and the National Skills Academy for Nuclear Quality Competencies needed to develop their skills, knowledge and behaviours

The nuclear workforce is aging. Those that joined in the last big recruitment drive in the 1980s are nearing retirement and there is a growing skills gap among Quality professionals. Mike Underwood, chair of the CQI’s Nuclear Special Interest Group (NucSIG), explores the important role the group plays in harnessing a future for quality professionals in the nuclear industry.

NucSIG supports the CQI competency framework as the framework for personal development and has worked with the National Skills Academy Nuclear to develop a complimentary set of nuclear/engineering quality skills which are commonly required in the nuclear sector.