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Industry Liaison

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Company Catalysts and Company Advocates are representatives of a wide range of organisations from across the nuclear industry. These people have volunteered to take on the role and are committed to meeting the below aims:

1. Increasing participation of each organisation in YGN events and opportunities by “activating” our communities
2. Steering and shaping the YGNs portfolio of events and activities so that they meet the needs of the industry
3. To support the YGN’s Mission and 3 key themes: attract, engage and develop.
4. To support the YGN in continuing the Net Zero Needs Nuclear campaign and advocating nuclear as a viable low carbon energy industry.

Together the Company Catalysts with the support of their Company Advocate work to improve two-way communication between the YGN and industry. 

Company Catalysts

A Company Catalyst is a young person representing the YGN at their company, who is the main point of contact for their organisation to support future YGN opportunities. They should have (or be keen to develop):

  • Good communication skills
  • Self-motivation
  • Energy and willingness to engage and help implement change

What are the responsibilities of a Company Catalyst?

  • Sharing YGN opportunities with their work community
  • Being the main point of contact for their organisation to support future YGN opportunities
  • Enabling the young workforce to attend YGN events e.g. securing funding, producing justifications or company comms
  • Ensuring the benefits of YGN activities are shared with the Company Advocate
  • Attend quarterly meetings with the YGN Company Catalyst lead
  • Obtain feedback from their organisation to support future YGN opportunities

What is the benefit of being a Company Catalyst?

  • You have a direct link to the YGN and all its opportunities and activities
  • An opportunity to develop a relationship with a senior member of your organisation as the Company Advocate
  • Representing your company on a national platform (a webpage will be created showcasing our Company Catalysts)
  • Joining likeminded individuals from across the nuclear industry
  • Develop skills in leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement
  • Ensuring the voice of young people is heard in your organisation
  • Opportunity to influence direction of the YGN

 Catalyst role description

Hear from current Company Catalysts

Caitlin Touhey - Uranium Asset Management

Caitlin Touhey, Governance, Marketing and Risk Manager

 

 

  • What opportunities have the YGN brought to you?

I have only been a Company Catalyst for a short time but I am looking forward to networking during annual dinners in addition to voicing my opinions and those of other young people at UAM during the quarterly meetings. I really appreciate the opportunity to have a forum in which to express the important and vital thoughts of the young generation in the nuclear industry.  

  • How did you find out about the scheme? 

I found out about the scheme at the NI/NIA Industry Dinner in London. Here, higher management at Westinghouse and UAM encouraged me to get involved in some capacity (UAM is a subsidiary of Westinghouse).  

  • How have you been implementing this across the company? 

Ahead of my first quarterly meeting, I have spoken to other young people at UAM and have gathered a list of training and tours that they would like to see and attend. 

  • How has your overall experience been within the YGN?

Great. Throughout the introductory process, the YGN have been incredibly informative and efficient. The volunteers themselves have been friendly and welcoming.

Laura Manson - Dounreay

Laura Manson, Trainee Mechanical Engineer

 

 

  • What opportunities have the YGN brought to you?

I have had the opportunity to sit on the Industry Partner Steering Committee, attend the annual seminar and dinner in Edinburgh and Cardiff, and build the YGN at Dounreay. Through doing this I have been able to build relationships with senior leadership in my own company and others, network with lots of peers in the nuclear industry, learn so much about what else is happening in the Industry, and build my leadership and organisational skills.

  • How did you find out about the scheme? 

I found out about YGN from one of the other company catalysts at Dounreay. They got me involved in helping to organise events at the company and then I went along to the annual seminar and diner in Edinburgh. After going along to that I was really interested in staying involved as you really get to see the bigger picture at these events.

  • How have you been implementing this across the company? 

Along with the other two company catalysts I have built up the YGN presence at Dounreay over the last 2 years. We have created an email distribution list which we use regularly to contact young people in the organisation, I have spoken on a panel at the NDA Stakeholder Summit to highlight the opportunities that I have had as a young person, and I have secured a budget for the YGN at Dounreay to be used to send people off to YGN events.

  • What has been your favourite YGN event? 

The annual seminar and dinner. It is the flagship event for a reason and, after being to two of them, I always leave feeling inspired and motivated to keep changing the industry.

  • How has your overall experience been within the YGN?

It has been brilliant. There are so many opportunities available to you, and the network that you build from being involved is so wide and diverse.

Company Advocates

What is a Company Advocate?

A senior member of an organisation nominated to support the Company Catalyst in meeting the collaborative aims of the YGN.  

Role and Person requirements

The YGN Company Advocate will support the Catalysts by being:

  • Bought in to the YGN’s mission and strategic aims
  • Available to support and meet the catalyst to help deliver the collaborative aims and offer guidance
  • Advise the catalyst on what the organisation would like offered from YGN / NI events
  • Able to approve funding or allocate budget to support volunteers and employees attending events
  • Able to provide a platform for the Catalyst to engage with the whole organisation
  • Is ideally a member of the Nuclear Institute and had previous engagement with the NI or YGN – this is not compulsory but is a helpful characteristic
YGN Company Advocates Activities

The Company Advocate will help support the Company Catalyst and be engaged in activities including:

  • Positively influencing an organisation at a senior level to ensure continued support of NI / YGN activities
  • Advocate NI memberships & YGN involvement – by supporting the catalyst and engaging in communities
  • Enable the YGN Catalyst by providing a platform for a company wide audience – to help target all disciplines
  • Support approval funding, event justifications and other activities that the Catalyst needs help with the to provide YGN opportunities to the workforce
  • Answer “what does the business need from the YGN?” and “what can the YGN provide our Young People?” – working closely with the YGN and the Catalyst to provide feedback, ensuring YGN opportunities are valuable to the organisation and its attendees. This will support development of future content offered by the YGN.

 

Advocate role description

Company Partner

YGN and GBE-N representatives at a meeting

The YGN Company Partner provides support to help foster talent across the industry, provide early-career professionals with the networks, knowledge, and opportunities to grow.

Company Partner

Young Generation Network and Great British Energy - Nuclear logos

We were pleased to announce in April 2025 our company partnership with Great British Energy – Nuclear. The YGN / GBE-N Company Partnership is a three year partnership which will play a pivotal role in helping GBE-N to meet its strategic priorities in skills and workforce development by supporting and inspiring early career professionals in the nuclear sector and by strengthening the future workforce of the growing nuclear sector. It also aims to champion the role of the YGN in the sector.

Vision: A vibrant and diverse partnership between the YGN and GBE-N to support the development of early careers communities internally and across the UK nuclear sector.

Mission: To collaborate on building an inclusive early careers community within GBE-N and to support and inspire the next generation of nuclear professionals joining the sector by championing the YGN.

Many past YGN volunteers have built successful careers in the sector, including Alys Gardner, GBE-N’s Head of Skills and Development, who was YGN Chair in 2016. Alys said: “Volunteering with the YGN has been hugely influential on my career to date; I gained leadership skills, a network of contacts across the sector and a passion for continuous learning from an early stage in my career. I’m so pleased that colleagues in GBE-N will get the opportunity to interact closely with the YGN and the NI and experience the benefits of these organisations for themselves”.

If you’d like to know more about the YGN / GBE-N Company Partnership, please contact industry.ygn@nuclearinst.com

Industry Liaison Lead

Lucy Jarvis