By Holly Conroy, Nuclear Recruitment Consultant at Astute People
In June 2025, UK government funding for nuclear energy surged ahead with two landmark announcements: £14.2 billion for Sizewell C and £2.5 billion for RollsRoyce Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
These dual commitments signal a transformative era for nuclear in Britain, creating vast opportunities for industry, supply chain, and most importantly, talent.
Smart employers are already moving to pipeline candidates suitable for the next 10+ years of nuclear deployment.
Market context & scale
Sizewell C is planned as a twin-unit European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) delivering ~3.2 GW, enough to power around 6 million homes, with construction expected to generate 10,000 direct jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships .
Meanwhile, RollsRoyce SMRs involve three 470 MW PWR units, each factory-built and designed for deployment from the mid-2030s onward. They’re expected to create up to 3,000 construction and commissioning jobs .
Combined, these projects contribute to the UK’s broader £16.7 billion nuclear commitment .
Recruitment challenges ahead
Despite the magnitude of opportunities, the nuclear labour market faces serious headwinds:
- Ageing workforce: The sector is seeing pronounced retirements, while the broader energy sector is forecast to face a 150,000-worker shortfall by 2030 .
- Security clearance delays: Narrowing the candidate pool further, many roles require SC or DV clearance and can take 5–7 months to complete—a delay that often sees professionals drop out or take jobs in other sectors.
- Sector competition: Renewable energy, oil & gas, defence, and manufacturing offer quicker entry and often fewer bureaucratic barriers.
Addressing these systemic challenges requires proactive and strategic workforce planning.
Roles employers should pipeline now
To meet the multi-phase demands of Sizewell C and SMRs, the following roles should be prioritised:
- Project Managers & Programme Directors with nuclear background
- Civil, Mechanical & Instrumentation Engineers (including PWR and modular systems expertise)
- Commissioning Engineers (for nuclear, mechanical, systems integration)
- QA/QC, Compliance & HSE Specialists licenced in nuclear practices
- Security-cleared Coordinators & Site Leads (SC/DV essential)
- Technique Specialists: welders, concrete experts, heavy plant supervisors, and electricians
- Factory-build Technicians for SMR modules
- Schedule & Cost Analysts experienced in multibillion-pound infrastructure
Early purposing of these roles, especially engineers in commissioning or planning phases, will enable timely onboarding, clearance processing, and project readiness.
Why early pipeline development matters
- Lead-times for clearance: Embedding candidates into the pipeline today means clearance processes can begin well in advance of role start dates.
- Training and apprenticeships: Building pipelines now enables structured learning pathways—from apprentices to engineering leads—ready by 2028–2030.
- Competitive advantage: These projects run on timelines; firms with pooled, cleared candidates can mobilise weeks faster than others, translating directly into project efficiencies and margin gains.
Astute People’s role in your talent strategy
We know nuclear.
Our People Plus partnership model offers:
- Strategic workforce forecasting, enabling mapping of project labour curves years ahead.
- Cleared talent pools, ensuring access to pre-vetted SC/DV candidates ready to start.
- Contract-perm blended flows, helping companies scale through early-phase contractors with transfer options.
- Modular kit of support including pipelining, onboarding, compliance handling, and clearance sponsorship support.
For example, we recently delivered a group of 15 cleared commissioning engineers within 10 weeks for a client ahead of critical system tests, reducing their typical recruitment timeline by over 60%.
What employers can do proactively
- Sponsor clearance: Take on candidate vetting and clearance sponsorship early.
- Launch graduate/trade tracks tied to Sizewell and SMR timelines (e.g. July cohorts ready by 2028).
- Partner with specialists: Use Astute People to pipeline cleared, skilled professionals and integrate them quickly.
- Blend resourcing models: Combine contract strength for pre-permit phases with permanent conversion aligned to project milestones.
Candidate approach
If you’re a candidate:
- Clearance-ready status is your primary asset, highlight it early.
- Specialise in PWR or modular systems for engineers, or commissioning & QC.
- Be open to contract roles with long-term pathway to perm employment.
The dual rollout of Sizewell C and SMRs marks a pivotal staffing moment for UK nuclear.
Early movers, candidates and employers, will capture the best roles, clearances, and project-aligned pipelines.
At Astute People, we’re ready to help you navigate this opportunity: from strategic forecasting to delivering cleared, job-ready professionals.
To discuss how our People Plus model and nuclear expertise can power your talent pipeline, get in touch.
References
- UK Sizewell C funding & jobs: Gov.uk press release
- RollsRoyce SMR funding and job creation: FT, Reuters, NSEnergy
- UK nuclear spending review: Reuters, FT, Guardian
- Energy sector workforce gap: Financial Times / Prospect union
