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Photo: Arkwright Scholars at the Awards Ceremony in London with Helen Fisher of Sellafield Ltd.
The Nuclear Institute and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) welcomed 25 exemplary students as part of their support for the prestigious Arkwright Scholarship programme at an Awards ceremony held on Friday, 30th October, in London.
In addition, the Nuclear Institute, in partnership with ECITB, delivered a Nuclear Industry Awareness Seminar on 26 & 27 Oct at Summergrove Halls in Cumbria. The event was attended by 11 scholars from the 2015 NI and ECITB programmes who gained an invaluable insight into the exciting opportunities offered by a career in the nuclear sector.
On Friday, the students were presented with their Scholarship Awards by John Robertson, chair of the Nuclear Institute Eductation & Training Committee, Chris Claydon, chief executive of the ECITB, and Helen Fisher, Sellafield Ltd.
In 2015, the Nuclear Institute has arranged funding for a total of 14 Arkwright Scholars, through its co-sponsorship agreement with Sellafield Ltd. and NuGen.
John Warden, chief executive of the Nuclear Institute said:
“The nuclear industry provides a challenging and rewarding career for the UK's top engineering and design talent, whether in design and construction of a new nuclear plant, operating existing plants or decommissioning old ones. The Arkwright Trust plays a vital role in identifying and developing that talent and the Nuclear Institute, in collaboration with the ECITB, is delighted to support and encourage Arkwright scholars who are thinking about a career in the nuclear industry. The Nuclear Institute can provide unrivalled access to the nuclear industry and we look forward to supporting this year's scholars as they progress in their studies.”
Commenting on the programme and the ECITB’s ongoing support, Chris Claydon said:
“The ECITB is delighted to be offering its support again to the Arkwright scholarship programme in its sponsorship of these exceptional students. We are especially pleased to be working with the Nuclear Institute in supporting these scholars in pursuit of a career in the nuclear industry. The ECITB works closely with the nuclear sector and we hope to be able to leverage our understanding and industry relationships to offer the scholars a real insight into the many diverse career opportunities within this growing industry sector.”
The Arkwright Engineering Scholarships are one of the most prestigious Scholarship schemes in the UK for aspiring future leaders in engineering and technical design. The Scholarships offer mentoring support, work experience and a wide range of other learning opportunities to support high-potential school students during the two years of their ‘A’ levels. Arkwright works with many leading organisations in the nuclear industry, often facilitated in recent years by the Nuclear Institute.
Scholars are chosen after a highly-competitive UK-wide selection process, including a detailed application form (complete with teacher’s reference), a two-hour problem-solving aptitude exam, and an interview conducted by industrial engineers and hosted at a top university. Following this the shortlist of very-high potential students are then paired with sponsoring companies, relevant to their interests such as the Nuclear Institute.
The Nuclear Institute and ECITB are organising a programme of activities over the next year to help engage students with the industry. This month the two organisations have already hosted the 2015/16 Arkwright scholars at a short nuclear industry awareness programme in Cumbria, which included meeting with experts from Sellafield, NuGeneration, the National Nuclear Laboratory, ECITB and the Nuclear Institute.