National College for Nuclear wins Semta Skills award

Bridgwater & Taunton College’s National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub (NCfN) has won the Skills Innovation of the Year category at the Semta Skills Awards, beating competition from Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota Manufacturing.

The Skills Innovation of the Year category examines the ways in which organisations have harnessed the latest technology to improve their delivery of skills training, and the positive impact this has had on the workforce.

Recognising that unskilled and unqualified staff cannot practise in a live nuclear power plant, the college has used virtual reality simulation to recreate a ‘live’ installation, meaning that students can become immersed in a nuclear environment. Working in teams on ‘live’ work-based projects, they assimilate and practise skills in complete safety, whilst also coming to understand the protocols and behaviours so important to nuclear safety.

Andy Berry, principal of Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) said: “New technology has an important role to play in training the nuclear workforce of tomorrow. Virtual reality enables students to experience and learn from a range of different scenarios, honing their skills and required behaviours in a safe environment, which would not be possible in a live installation.”

He continued: “To be recognised as a leader in this field against stiff competition, is a demonstration of our commitment to partner industry and support them in the creation of a highly skilled and dynamic workforce needed to re-energise UK industry and drive its future success.”

Semta www.semta.org.uk