Defence Nuclear + Jobs

Defence nuclear, which encompasses nuclear reactors for submarines and nuclear warhead manufacturing, has been credited with driving jobs growth in the UK nuclear sector. The 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) by Cogent Skills, for the Nuclear Workforce Assessment Working Group, found that the overall nuclear workforce grew from 83,000 in 2023 to 96,000 in 2024 – a 15.6% increase. Cogent Skills is a training provider for the science and technology sector. The report said: “Recruitment remains strong, with 8,768 new hires, and early career representation is improving, as the number of employees under 20 has nearly doubled, while the proportion of workers over 60 has slightly declined. “Looking ahead, organisations’ project a workforce demand of 120,000 by 2030, reflecting the sector’s growing skills needs and the importance of talent attraction and retention.” Most (57%) of the growth came from the defence nuclear sector, which covers areas such as nuclear reactors for submarines and nuclear warheads for the UK’s nuclear-armed Trident submarines.