Britain’s drive to reach Net Zero by 2050 is reshaping the engineering and energy sectors, with nuclear power set to play a central role in the transition

In 2024, the UK Government set out a Nuclear Roadmap aimed at increasing nuclear generation to 24GW by 2050¹. This creates a major opportunity for innovation, but it also demands a serious recruitment drive to meet rising demand and infrastructure needs.

The workforce has reached nearly 96,000, but a severe skills gap means the industry needs one million more skilled workers by 2030². To reach 24GW, the civil and defence nuclear workforce will need to double over the next 20 years, supporting around 80,000 additional skilled jobs across the UK³.

For engineers and technicians, that means opportunity at every stage of a career. The sector needs people with technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work in highly regulated environments. It also needs a strong pipeline of apprentices, graduates, and experienced professionals who can be upskilled for nuclear roles.

The opportunity goes beyond the power stations themselves. Each large nuclear site can create up to 10,000 construction jobs and 900 operational roles, while also generating work across the supply chain and in regional economies¹.

To meet these goals, the industry needs to move fast – recruit new workers, upskill existing teams, and build clearer pathways into nuclear careers.

For employers, training providers, and engineering firms, the next phase of Britain’s nuclear future will depend on people as much as technology.

Last year, we ramped up our operations across the UK’s nuclear sector to expand our Salko UK team of security-cleared professionals active on high-priority sites. Currently, we have 20 technical professionals with specialist clearance to work on nuclear power plants – a level of access that requires extensive vetting and is in high demand across the industry.

These specialists, including controls and instrument technicians, electricians, riggers, mechanical fitters and support staff, are deployed on vital contracts across the country as the UK scales up its nuclear capacity in support of national net zero targets.

Sim Sharphouse, Operations Manager at Salko UK comments: “In a sector with high entry barriers, the level of clearance needed to access a nuclear plant is significant, but we’re always invested in making sure we have a workforce that is adaptable to industry requirements.

“At Salko UK we’re committed to creating a skilled, site-cleared pipeline of workers, allowing us to move fast when our clients need us, whether on long-term infrastructure work or rapid-response technical support.

“We’re proud to be supporting projects that contribute to the UK’s energy independence and we’re equally proud to be growing a workforce that can keep up with the pace of change in energy, engineering and infrastructure.”

To find out more about our work, please visit: https://www.salko.co.uk/case-studies/