Sizewell C will be 'colossal for job opportunities'

Young people will benefit from a "colossal" jobs boom during and beyond the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station, local educators believe.

On Tuesday, the government announced it would be investing a further £14.2bn into the energy project on the Suffolk coast, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves said would "kickstart" economic growth.

Bosses say Sizewell C will support up to 70,000 jobs across the UK once completed and 1,500 apprenticeships have been pledged - designed to provide the skills needed for a career in nuclear engineering.

East Coast College student Skye Dorward credited Sizewell with "increasing the number of opportunities and pathways" into the industry for young people.

Engineering student Ms Dorward, 19, has secured a nuclear engineering degree apprenticeship with EDF, the French state-owned firm that will build the third Sizewell plant, which she hopes will lead to a job there.

"The work and educational prospects it offers to young people is so great," she said.

"The challenges and opportunities Sizewell C is presenting are outstanding, so coming back to Suffolk to work on Sizewell C would be really good.

"I would love the chance to work on that project."

Sizewell C will be a two-reactor nuclear power station that could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity for 60 years.

But it is not just nuclear engineering roles that will need to be filled.

The wider Sizewell C project will require workers from several industries - including construction, catering,d digital marketing, IT and hospitality.

The chancellor called it a "landmark decision" to invest £14.2bn, while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the investment was necessary to usher in a "golden age of clean energy".

While it will take at least a decade to complete, Reeves said it would be the "biggest nuclear building programme in a generation".

Sizewell C was originally estimated to cost £20bn. However, industry experts predicted that could double - a claim that was rejected by EDF, which is also building the new Hinkley Point plant in Somerset that has gone over budget.

Investment into Sizewell C came in a series of announcements in the run-up to the government's Spending Review.

• Sizewell C nuclear plant gets £14bn go-ahead from government
• Updates: Local and national reaction to Tuesday's announcement of £14.2bn investment
• No blank cheque for Sizewell C says Starmer, as £14.2bn investment confirmed

Emma Taylor, director of business development and major projects at Suffolk New College, said Sizewell C posed a "colossal opportunity for great new jobs".

The college and Sizewell have long worked together to develop curricula that will give students the best chance of capitalising on the jobs the plant could generate.

• What is Sizewell C and what does it mean for Suffolk?

"We have been really integral to their conversations about what are the key roles that are going to be needed to enable this project," Ms Taylor told the BBC.

"A number of our students really see the opportunities [Sizewell C offers] and that is growing and we're absolutely passionate to enable [them to pursue] those opportunities.

"There is a growth in the number of young people applying for construction courses and we are no exception – we've had real growth in that area, which is fantastic."

Leiston was once a thriving manufacturing town but, in more recent years, many feel it has lacked the capacity to provide career opportunities.

According to the ONS, 79.1% of people in East Suffolk, however, were already in paid work or had a job, with an average weekly wage of £604.

Julia Pyke, managing director of Sizewell C, told the BBC she was "committed" to ensuring at least one third of the workforce was made of local people.

"There will be a lot of high quality jobs in an area which is quite remote and where there isn't currently enough high quality employment," she said.

Phil Stittle, executive director of business and skills at West Suffolk College, said he was determined to ensure anyone could benefit from the jobs boom.

"As an educator, we need to ensure the next generation understands that [Sizewell C] is going to be a great option for people to go and work at," he told the BBC.

"But we also work with a lot of different agencies that support adult retraining, those that come from the military and prison and even care leavers.

"We are looking to make sure we are not leaving anybody behind by training everyone that we can to support that big need [for jobs].

"I think the positives of Sizewell C far outweigh the negatives."

At the construction's height, the project will command the expertise and labour of 10,000 people – about 4,000 more than actually live in nearby Leiston.

For locals, this has long proved a concern, with some worried about whether or not the town will be able to cope with such an influx of people.

Some also fear the workforce demand at Sizewell C will dry up the employment pool available for local businesses.

Jenny Kirtley, from Together Against Sizewell C, said: "I think it will have a huge impact on local businesses.

"Whether it's building firms or in hospitality, people cannot match the Sizewell C money and the wages they are paying."

But Sizewell C joint managing director, Ms Pyke, disagrees.

"We are offering people progression and by investing in education and training we hope the amount of people wanting to work in East Suffolk increases so that all needs can be met," she said.

"We are not going to be paying out of line wages to people for similar jobs or luring people from their current jobs."

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