News: Rotherham apprentices visit nuclear fuel leader
Nine trainees on the innovative New ERA apprenticeship in Rotherham have gained a valuable insight into the nuclear power industry after visiting Westinghouse last week.
Westinghouse, a world leader in nuclear fuel provision and the manufacture of nuclear reactors, took the apprentices around their factory in Preston showing them how nuclear fuel is produced.
In the oxide fuels complex, Westinghouse's main production facility, the apprentices were shown how the raw material - uranium hexafluoride (hex) - is converted from a solid to a fine powder that is then processed to make pellets of nuclear fuel.
The visit is the latest in a series planned by New ERA programme creator, Newburgh Engineering. Managing director of Newburgh, Vincent Middleton, hopes that the visits will give the apprentices an appreciation of how high standards are set in the manufacturing world.
Vincent Middleton said: "At Westinghouse, the lads were shown that getting something 99.9% right isn't good enough, it has to be 100% or it's wrong. Making a mistake just isn't possible in an industry like nuclear power."
Newburgh has a long history of supplying to the UK nuclear industry, stretching right back to the first generation Magnox Reactors of the 1950s.
Other visits for the apprentices have included AESSEAL in Rotherham, DavyMarkham in Sheffield, and Perkins Engines in Stafford, giving the trainees different experiences of how their skills can be applied to real-life manufacturing industries.
The New ERA programme, created by Newburgh Engineering, Rotherham, and Air Accessories, Sheffield, offers an in-depth engineering course unlike any other.
Apprentices on the course, held at Brinsworth Training in Rotherham, will leave the 40 week programme with an NVQ Level 2 qualification in engineering and will have begun their training towards Level 3. They are guaranteed employment with their sponsors, who will complete their training.
The aim of the New ERA programme, due to finish in June, is to create a new generation of highly skilled engineers for South Yorkshire.
Newburgh Engineering website
Brinworth Training website
Westinghouse, a world leader in nuclear fuel provision and the manufacture of nuclear reactors, took the apprentices around their factory in Preston showing them how nuclear fuel is produced.
In the oxide fuels complex, Westinghouse's main production facility, the apprentices were shown how the raw material - uranium hexafluoride (hex) - is converted from a solid to a fine powder that is then processed to make pellets of nuclear fuel.
The visit is the latest in a series planned by New ERA programme creator, Newburgh Engineering. Managing director of Newburgh, Vincent Middleton, hopes that the visits will give the apprentices an appreciation of how high standards are set in the manufacturing world.
Vincent Middleton said: "At Westinghouse, the lads were shown that getting something 99.9% right isn't good enough, it has to be 100% or it's wrong. Making a mistake just isn't possible in an industry like nuclear power."
Newburgh has a long history of supplying to the UK nuclear industry, stretching right back to the first generation Magnox Reactors of the 1950s.
Other visits for the apprentices have included AESSEAL in Rotherham, DavyMarkham in Sheffield, and Perkins Engines in Stafford, giving the trainees different experiences of how their skills can be applied to real-life manufacturing industries.
The New ERA programme, created by Newburgh Engineering, Rotherham, and Air Accessories, Sheffield, offers an in-depth engineering course unlike any other.
Apprentices on the course, held at Brinsworth Training in Rotherham, will leave the 40 week programme with an NVQ Level 2 qualification in engineering and will have begun their training towards Level 3. They are guaranteed employment with their sponsors, who will complete their training.
The aim of the New ERA programme, due to finish in June, is to create a new generation of highly skilled engineers for South Yorkshire.
Newburgh Engineering website
Brinworth Training website
0 comments:
Post a Comment