NNL Contribution to UK R&D Skills Strategy Dr Katie Bell NNL Technical Conference 1 May 2014
Contents of presentation Background to UK nuclear skills challenge What actions are needed? How to develop technical specialists? What is NNL doing? e.g. University Links, Graduate Training, TEDP, KM 3 Case Studies
At the UK National Labs The majority of staff have more than 15 years experience within a decade 50% of the existing nuclear workforce and around 75% of senior managers and leaders will retire Cogent Power People The size & Experience of the Nuclear R&D workforce
The skills challenge Expanding nuclear programme in the UK - increased demand for skills: New build programme Legacy waste management Decommissioning Disposal Pu & U Management It takes a long time to develop experts 5-10 years to develop skilled R&D personnel 10-15 years to develop subject matter experts Experts are approaching retirement age The UK nuclear skills challenge Need: to regenerate an expert, experienced R&D community available technical specialists with high levels of knowledge, experience & technical authority to enable successful delivery
Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance (NESA) the challenges To develop & sustain technical skills in the nuclear workforce there are 4 challenges: Understanding the current & future skills need Recruiting candidates with training appropriate to achieving professional chartership Accelerating development of knowledgeable and experienced personnel Managing and transferring knowledge
Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance (NESA) - recommendations Areas needing immediate attention: 1) Accelerated development of specialist knowledge and experience, to allow the next generation of technical experts to assume these roles more quickly 2) Management of Technical Career paths, to ensure there is a pipeline of technically-minded individuals entering and progressing through the industry 3) Knowledge Management, to ensure that existing knowledge, particularly that held by current technical experts, is retained and transferred effectively to the next generation.
Developing Technical Specialists UK wide cross-industry technical career pathways: TECHNICAL DEPTH TECHNICAL BREADTH TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Stage 3 Senior Technical Specialist Expert Recognised nationally/internationally Regular presenter at national/ international conferences Utilises in-depth knowledge across the fuel cycle to achieve impact for company at national/international level Role model for technical staff Responsible for proactive knowledge transfer across industry and to successors Stage 2 Professional Scientist/ Engineer Company Expert Provides strategic technical leadership at company level Regular presenter at company level Applies knowledge and experience to solving industry challenges Leads technical improvements Identifies and develops multiple successors Communicates and shares knowledge within own company or more widely Stage 1 Technical Deliverer Trainee + Technical Deliverer Understanding of how skill area is used across company Mentor/buddy for junior staff Applies knowledge and experience to tasks Team working
What is NNL doing? Influencing Future Entrants Corporate Social Responsibility Promoting STEM subjects Work experience Dream placement Supporting Education University lectures PhD supervision Apprenticeships University placements Recruitment Summer placements for University students Mid career Career Pathways Fellowship Lab, Research, Senior Technical Excellence Development Programme Early career Technical Graduate Scheme Secondments CPD Modules Mentoring Approved Chartership Schemes Late career Knowledge Management Retention of knowledge
NNL s University Links Comprehensive & established links with universities Enhances Scientific & Technical Reputation Promoting careers in nuclear Two way advantage PhD supervision Links with 34 UK universities Supervision of 83 PhD students at present 42 NNL staff involved in PhD supervision Placements at NNL becoming more available Teaching of undergraduate & postgraduate students 39 Lecture courses delivered last year 13 different UK universities 19 NNL staff involved
NNL Technical Graduate Scheme Aimed & graduates & postgraduates entering the nuclear industry 2 year programme Based in a technical team & responsible for delivering technical work Designed to work in partnership with the NNL technical community to develop the skills essential for a successful technical career 6 development courses: 1. Managing your own development within the context of the NNL 2. Communicating & influencing in a commercial environment 3. Displaying resilience and robustness skills in a technical area 4. Presenting in a technical environment 5. Working as a team to improve the business 6. Motivating self and the business forward
NNL s TEDP Technical Excellence Development Programme Delegates are coached to become effective technical ambassadors for the NNL TEDP aims to challenge the delegates technical horizons and, through this, enable them to maximise their technical contribution to the NNL Develop future technical leaders Raise the profile of technical achievement and skill Programme consists of: - external training (ethics, technical interrogation, influencing skills) - internally delivered coaching - group exercises
NNL s Knowledge Management Knowing who knows what The current NNL KM Tools Lunchtime lectures Discussion Forum Searchable directory (yellow pages) Communities of Practice Knowledge Health Checks Retention of critical knowledge
Case Study 1 Dan Shepherd Technical Lead, Fuel & Radioisotope technology Masters in Materials Science at Oxford University Worked for two multinationals: GE Aviation Systems and Chemtura Joined NNL in 2010 NNL Graduate Scheme & Emerging Manager Programme Professional grade with IOM3 Chartership planned for 2014
Case Study 2 Deborah Hill NNL Lab Fellow & Leader of Nuclear Safety and Criticality Team BSc & PhD & CPhys, University of Warwick Summer placement Health Physics & Safety Dept, Capenhurst 1997 - Joined NNL as Graduate Trainee Criticality Assessor Technical, Behavioural, Management & Commercial Training Technical Excellence Development Programme Criticality Technical Manager Awarded Lab Fellowship for Criticality Safety in 2013 Chair of UK working party on criticality since 2006 Executive committee member, secretary & treasurer for ANS Criticality Division
Case Study 3 Jon Hyde Senior Research Fellow & Chief Technologist for Reactor Operations Support Business D. Phil Materials Science at Oxford University (1993) then EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Visiting Research Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory UKAEA (1995), AEAT (1996) then NNL (2003) MBA in Technology Management (2003) Various roles; Team Manager, Business Manager, Research Fellow and external academic appointments Technical Excellence Development Programme (2011) Chief Technologist, Laboratory Fellow, Visiting Professor (Manchester), Senior Visiting Fellow (Oxford)
Developing Technical Specialists Cross-industry technical career pathways: TECHNICAL DEPTH TECHNICAL BREADTH TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Stage 3 Senior Technical Specialist Expert Recognised nationally/internationally Regular presenter at national/ international conferences Utilises in-depth knowledge across the fuel cycle to achieve impact for company at national/international level Role model for technical staff Responsible for proactive knowledge transfer across industry and to successors Stage 2 Professional Scientist/ Engineer Company Expert Provides strategic technical leadership at company level Regular presenter at company level Applies knowledge and experience to solving industry challenges Leads technical improvements Identifies and develops multiple successors Communicates and shares knowledge within own company or more widely Stage 1 Technical Deliverer Trainee + Technical Deliverer Understanding of how skill area is used across company Mentor/buddy for junior staff Applies knowledge and experience to tasks Teamworking
Mentoring Secondments CPD Modules Developing Technical Specialists Cross-industry technical career pathways: TECHNICAL DEPTH TECHNICAL BREADTH TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP Stage 3 Senior Technical Specialist Stage 2 Professional Scientist/ Engineer Stage 1 Technical Deliverer Expert Knowledge Management Utilises in-depth knowledge across the Recognised nationally/internationally fuel cycle to achieve impact for company at national/international Regular presenter at national/ level international conferences Company Expert NNL Fellowships Applies knowledge and experience to solving industry challenges Provides strategic technical leadership at company level Leads technical Approved Chartership improvements schemes Regular presenter at company level Trainee + Understanding of how Technical Deliverer Technical Graduate skill Training area is used University Placements across company Applies knowledge and University experience Links to teaching & research tasks Apprenticeships Influencing Future Entrants Role model for technical Technical staff Excellence Development Responsible for proactive Programme knowledge transfer across industry and to successors Identifies and develops multiple successors University Links Communicates teaching & research and shares knowledge within own company or more widely Mentor/buddy for junior staff Teamworking
Further information 1. Developing higher level technical skills for the future, Nuclear Future, Vol 10, Iss2, pp50-54 2. Nuclear Energy Research & Development Roadmap: Future Pathways, HM Government, 2013 3. A Review of the Civil Nuclear R&D Landscape in the UK, HM Government, 2013 4. Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance Annual Review 2012/2013 5. Renaissance Nuclear Skills Series, Cogent, 2009-2011 6. The Nuclear Supply Chain Action Plan, Industrial Strategy; government and industry in partnership, December 2012.