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Sizewell C skills programme delivers employees and social value
Nicky Roger Associate editor
Artist’s impression of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant. Image: Sizewell C
Willmott Dixon, Morson Group and CarmichaelUK are among the construction companies providing work opportunities to learners from a skills bootcamp at Sizewell C.
The Introduction to Construction Skills Bootcamps connects local residents directly to long-term employment opportunities on the Sizewell C project. It was developed by social value training provider Engage Train Support (ETS) in collaboration with CarmichaelUK.
The programme began in March and has since secured further funding from the Department for Education, while Norfolk and Suffolk Councils have provided opportunities for another 20 places. “We are expecting this funding to continue across 2026 and look forward to continuing to work with CarmichaelUK on this,” said Kerryn Wotton, managing director of ETS.
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“Carmichael has been the driving employer force behind the whole project,” added Wotton. “It has helped design the programme, selected candidates, offered interviews to every person completing the programme and encouraged other employers to join us.”
Those employers include contractor HW Martin, which has offered several Sizewell C roles to candidates; Morson, which is offering land surveyor roles; Highway Assurance; Willmott Dixon; Job Matcha; and SPS Bus, which provides bus transport for Sizewell staff.
All these employers have committed to providing work opportunities to candidates, reviewing CVs or interviewing for live roles.
Barriers to opportunities
“Large infrastructure projects such as Sizewell C require a skilled, safety-conscious workforce at scale, but many local residents face barriers to entering these long-term employment opportunities,” said Wotton. “These barriers may include long-term unemployment, career changes, caring responsibilities, health challenges, or limited access to training and job opportunities.
“At the same time, employers need work-ready candidates with recognised certifications and the confidence to operate safely on live construction sites.
“The challenge was to connect local people with real employment opportunities while ensuring they had the qualifications, knowledge and confidence to succeed. In addressing the ‘access-skills gap’, the programme removes the final barriers, imparts the required skills and grants access to employers, unlocking the potential of local talent for the Sizewell C project.”
Recent training took place at the Waterloo Centre in Leiston, supporting the local circular economy, and was funded by Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils and the Department for Education. Image: ETS
The programme is based on a Skills Bootcamp model that combines an employer-informed course design, industry-recognised qualifications, guaranteed job interviews, personal development and confidence building, and ongoing one-to-one employment support.
Learners have gained essential certifications, including for health and safety, first aid, manual handling, COSHH awareness, abrasive wheels training, CPCS A73 plant and vehicle marshalling, and CSCS Labourer cards.
The programme blends technical learning with personal development to foster confidence among learners to pursue construction careers.
‘Infrastructure builds resilient communities’
The initial programme resulted in 47% of participants securing job offers within two weeks of starting the course. Seven candidates were placed with contractor HW Martin and the remaining learners received wrap-around support for six months. All participants gained industry-recognised qualifications and employers gained access to job-ready local candidates.
“By supporting local people into recognised qualifications and guaranteed interviews, the Skills Bootcamp is making sure large-scale infrastructure projects don’t just build roads and power stations – they’re building stronger, more resilient local communities in the heart of Suffolk,” said Wotton.
“We are incredibly grateful to Carmichael UK for championing this programme and helping ensure our learners move straight from training into real jobs. Its support has helped open doors and create lasting opportunities for local people.
“We would also like to thank HW Martin for offering employment opportunities to our learners at Sizewell C. Providing guaranteed interviews – and then converting those into job offers – demonstrates what can be achieved when employers actively invest in local talent.”
Rod Carmichael, chief executive officer of CarmichaelUK, said: “The success of this strategic partnership is built on the shared vision and values aligned with our two businesses. It is immensely rewarding to see our respective specialisms deliver real, meaningful and human outcomes. Starting my career on-site myself back in Ireland, I fully appreciate how impactful the removal of barriers can be in unlocking a lifelong construction career.
“I look forward to supporting this programme to impact more local residents and showcase the power of this model to the industry – it would be amazing to see this collaboration model become the norm across the UK construction industry.”
