ONR is working hard to make sure we have the kind of workforce we need for the future demands we are facing as a regulator. However only 28% of stakeholders responding to the survey are confident we will have the capacity and capability we need for the next 5 – 10 years.
The more detailed narrative from in-depth interviews undertaken as part of the survey explains why stakeholders feel like this. Some of you are unsure if we have the resources we need to regulate new generation technology, while for others you are concerned if we can cope with the demands of exiting Euratom and ensuring we have the skills and staff in place to meet growing demand for regulation.
ONR has been looking to the future and responding to change through its strategic plan . We are now well and truly focused on planning beyond this phase and building capacity and improving capability underpin our future plans so we can ensure we have a fit for purpose workforce
Work already in hand includes:
- A brand new training academy to ensure we can train and develop new inspectors quickly and efficiently
- On-going inspector recruitment, promotion and graduate trainee programme
- Contractor arrangements to ensure we can build capacity where needed with expertise from the best in the industry and
- Support from Government to build our capacity and our capability to deliver a new domestic safeguards regime and to respond to new advanced nuclear technologies.
We’ll be telling you more about how these activities progress over the coming months.
This article featured in our March 2017 ONR News ebulletin. It’s free to sign-up.