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Students celebrate success
Students celebrate success in new nuclear degree programme
Students at Sellafield are celebrating being the first to achieve their BTEC National Award in Applied Science (Physics) as part of a new technical specialist training programme.
On 10 April, nine students were presented with their certificates by Sellafield Ltd’s Managing Director, Barry Snelson, at a ceremony at the Westlakes Research Institute. The event was attended by representatives from Sellafield Ltd, GEN II and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
The group are the first GEN II students to achieve this qualification and completed the award with six distinctions and three merits in only 16 weeks.
Tom O'Neill, MOX Technical trainee graduate, said: “I looked at going to university and doing an apprenticeship but this course is a mixture of both, it's vocational, academic and you get paid! Before doing the foundation degree I did A-levels in maths, further maths and AS physics. In the future I would like to do the full degree and hopefully end up in a management role.”
After successful completion of the BTEC qualification the students have now embarked on a three year part time foundation degree specifically developed for the nuclear industry. The students spend a day each week studying with GEN II and the remaining four days with industrial mentors on the Sellafield site.
The event was a double celebration as GEN II and UCLan also signed the official Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations to deliver the new degree.
Dr Graham Baldwin, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Nuclear Industries) UCLan said: “We are delighted to be signing this agreement that will enable Cumbria’s nuclear workforce to stand apart with high level training and development.
“The development of the programmes has provided the opportunity for local 6th form leavers to study for a degree locally, whilst also developing workplace experience. The foundation degrees have proved to provide an ideal academic base for the Technical Specialist training programme.”
