| The UK’s nuclear industry provides around | | | | Countries such as Finland have stated that access |
| 22% of the country’s electricity. Currently | | | | to vast quantities of affordable power should be a |
| this sector employs around 50, 000 people, | | | | nation’s top priority and, to this end, they |
| increasing demand will be put on the nuclear | | | | have created thousands of new energy jobs to |
| industry to satisfy growing energy demands, as | | | | further investigation and development in this field. |
| well as to diversify the sources of energy we can | | | | Germany too has embarked on a systematic |
| utilize. Climate change has become an important | | | | expansion of nuclear energy, which has seen the |
| issue within the nuclear and energy industries and | | | | number of renewable energy jobs increase by |
| embracing it has lead to the birth of a new | | | | more than 100,000. |
| generation of nuclear jobs and renewable energy | | | | While the UK government is committed to the |
| jobs. | | | | support of nuclear energy, it has not yet made a |
| With the rising demand for more ecologically | | | | significant financial commitment to the situation. |
| sound implementations, it has been estimated that | | | | However, that could change in the future as |
| a further 9,000 engineers and scientists will be | | | | alternative, “cleaner” sources of energy |
| required to continue this progress in the UK alone. | | | | become increasingly necessary. Nuclear staff from |
| Nuclear jobs in this industry can require a lot of | | | | the UK are already well respected across the |
| travel, for example research scientists work in | | | | globe and many spend their time liaising with |
| partnership with other scientists from across the | | | | scientists and researchers from other countries, |
| globe to develop a power source that also has | | | | looking to present the government with a viable |
| world-wide effects. By working side-by-side with | | | | nuclear proposition. |
| other nations, we improve our own chances of | | | | Nuclear energy has become a more attractive |
| being able to identify and utilize alternative energy | | | | option to policy makers recently due to its minimal |
| sources that will minimize the impact on our | | | | impact on the environment when compared with |
| country’s and the world’s environment. | | | | consumption of fossil fuels. France, Finland and |
| The desire for a low-carbon future has caused us | | | | Japan have developed methods to successfully |
| to look and take stock from the experiences of | | | | and safely dispose of any byproducts, thus |
| other nations. The French developed their nuclear | | | | reducing carbon dioxide emissions and maintaining |
| energy capabilities after the oil-shock of the | | | | their potential for economic competition in |
| 1970’s. In doing so, they generate | | | | industries that demand high labour costs, |
| approximately 80% of their own electricity from | | | | expensive environmental mandates and other |
| nuclear power and are a net exporter of | | | | expenses incurred by regulatory bodies. At a time |
| electricity to other countries. | | | | where cleaner and cheaper fuels are becoming of |
| Japan generates around 37% of its own | | | | the utmost importance, countries that do not |
| electricity and is looking to increase this figure to | | | | strive to produce carbon-friendly fuel will end up |
| 41% by the year 2017, while Finland is in the | | | | having to may more for fuel reduction and that |
| process of building a sixth reactor to increase the | | | | cost, as always, will be passed on to the |
| percentage of electricity from the 28% at which | | | | consumer. |
| it does so currently. By comparison, the UK’s | | | | Duncan freer - Director – Utility Jobs Search is |
| self-generation of power is relatively small and it is | | | | a job site dedicated to the specific needs of |
| only through building new reactors that we are | | | | candidates who work in the utilities industry |
| going to extricate ourselves from being reliant on | | | | including gas jobs, energy jobs, engineering jobs, |
| fossil fuels and the exports of other countries in | | | | nuclear jobs plus many more. |
| the future. | | | | |