The skills of today's nuclear experts have been secured with the opening of British Energy's state-of-the-art Nuclear Power Academy on Wednesday.

With around 2,000 people working at its nuclear operations support centre in Barnwood, British Energy is a major employer in Gloucestershire.

The Barnwood site has long been regarded as a centre of excellence in the industry and it will continue to build on that reputation on its new, £3.5 million state of the art Nuclear Power Academy.

The Nuclear Power Academy team has developed a British Energy model for accreditation of training based on the systematic approach to training as applied by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and incorporating best practice in the nuclear industry. In the coming months British Energy is looking forward to taking a proactive part in its membership of the recently launched National Skills Academy Nuclear. The company believes it has a major role to play in establishing nuclear professionalism as a key aspect of existing and future nuclear operations in the UK.

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David Barber, Head of Training at British Energy said: "The Nuclear Power Academy is at the centre of British Energy's investment in training. It is part of the company's commitment to creating world leading nuclear professionals and maintaining the technical capability of our workforce, while being an active part of the wider focus in the UK on the nuclear skills agenda and training for nuclear power."

(CD/JM)