This year Sellafield Ltd has welcomed 325 new apprentices and graduates embarking on a career at the UK’s largest and most complex nuclear site. 

The new starters have taken on a range of disciplines from operations and project management to design engineering and fire fighting. The Cumbrian apprentices carry out their training with Gen2 and the University of Cumbria, with the Warrington-based trainees working with Wigan and Leigh College, alongside hundreds of existing apprentices. 
This is supported by 100 new graduates joining the existing cohort, who will be focused on developing the skills and knowledge to flourish in the nuclear industry. 
The apprenticeship schemes have been a popular avenue for young people across Cumbria to enter the nuclear industry. Joe McCartney, from Greysouthen in West Cumbria, currently works at Sellafield as a civil system engineer, after doing a degree apprenticeship through the company in civil asset management. He recently became an award-winning apprentice when he won the Best Apprentice Award at Newsquest’s 2023 Golden Apples in October. 
 Joe said: “What we do as a department is manage all the civil infrastructure on the Sellafield site. Every day is different. It’s quite varied within the role, which is good.” 
Joe has found a number of benefits through his apprenticeship with Sellafield Ltd. “I’d advocate the apprenticeship route because I believe that the experience that you gain, and the learning is probably invaluable," he said.
The site has said they are delighted to have taken on their largest intake of apprentices to date in 2023. Sellafield Ltd’s chief executive, Euan Hutton, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have recruited our largest intake ever this year. 
“We have a responsibility to ensure that the Sellafield site continues to drive its 100-year clean-up work safely and securely, using innovative techniques employed by our skilled workforce and supply chain partners. 
“To carry out this nationally important work requires carefully managed, world first engineering projects, and the development of our people. The education of future workers is crucial to our success.”