Sizewell C passes 150 apprentices as two thirds of recruits come from Suffolk

Sizewell C has passed 150 apprentices on the Suffolk nuclear power station project, with 166 now in post and 111 of them from the host county, the developer announced at its community forum on 23 October.

The company has committed to recruit at least 1,500 apprentices over the course of construction, 540 of them from Suffolk. Sizewell C said the latest figure takes it past 10% of that pledge.

Current apprenticeships cover project management, civil and nuclear engineering, countryside work, cyber security, quantity surveying, health, safety and environment, and project controls, the company said.

Nigel Cann, chief executive of Sizewell C, said: "As a former apprentice, I've experienced first-hand how apprenticeships can transform lives and open opportunities that might otherwise have seemed unattainable."

The numbers

Measure	Apprentices
Recruited to date	166
Recruited from Suffolk	111
Commitment for Suffolk	540
Total commitment	1,500

The 150th apprentice, Daisy, 18, joined on a project management apprenticeship with the University of Suffolk. She attended Farlingaye High School in Woodbridge and said she had signed up to the Young Sizewell C programme while still at school.

Sizewell C's Youth Council is drawn from students at Alde Valley Academy, and the company said 14 students from the school have so far secured apprenticeships on the project.

In January 2026 Sizewell C reported almost 2,000 workers on site and over 100 apprentices, alongside almost £1bn of contracts awarded to businesses in the East of England and a commitment to invest £4.4bn in the region over the build. The apprentice total now stands at 166.

When the Energy Secretary signed the final investment decision on 22 July 2025, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the project would support 10,000 directly employed jobs at peak construction and create 1,500 apprenticeships. Sizewell C has separately referred to a peak on-site workforce of 7,900, a third of it from the local area.

Beyond Boundaries

A new cohort of 20 young people began the Beyond Boundaries programme this month. Sizewell C funds the scheme, which is delivered by its social partner, the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE), as a two-year pilot for 15 to 21-year-olds.

Aleksandra Kasinska, ISCRE's Project Lead for Beyond Boundaries, said: "Beyond Boundaries provides a valuable route into skilled employment by supporting young people who face additional barriers to access opportunities, build their confidence, skills and networks, and connect them with employers and mentors."

ISCRE launched the programme in October 2025. In July 2026 it reported that the first cohort had produced two full-time roles, including a recruitment administrator post at Sizewell C, one paid summer internship, one apprenticeship and two university places, with other applications still awaiting decisions at that point.

Sizewell C's own account this week put the first cohort's results at one full-time role with the project, three full-time roles with other local companies, one apprenticeship, two university places and one summer internship.

Training infrastructure

Archaeological work is under way on College on the Coast, the project's permanent post-16 college and apprentice hub in Leiston. Sizewell C said planning permission was granted in July and it expects a first spade in the ground this year.

The college is being delivered in partnership with Suffolk New College and is intended to open in September 2027, according to Sizewell C. Its Apprenticeship and Trainee Hub is designed for up to 540 local apprentices, matching the Suffolk element of the recruitment pledge.

Julia Pyke, Sizewell C's joint managing director, has said the college goes beyond the project's planning requirements.

Work also started earlier this month on the Lound Civil Campus at East Coast College. Sizewell C said the hub will train up to 3,000 learners in the engineering and construction skills needed for the power station and future nationally significant infrastructure projects.

According to Sizewell C, the Lound scheme is backed by £2.1m from the Asset Skills Enhancement and Capability (ASEC) Fund, part of a £7.8m package secured through the project's planning process and jointly managed by Suffolk County Council, East Suffolk Council and Sizewell C.

Suffolk County Council announced in March 2026 that East Coast College would establish the campus with ASEC funding. Cllr Richard Smith MVO, the council's deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, economic development and skills, said the funding enabled long-term development of local skills in Suffolk.

Sizewell C is intended to provide clean power equivalent to 6 million homes, with 70% of construction value set to go to British businesses, according to the government's investment decision announcement.