NEF Assured (Nuclear) - New Standard of Training Launched

NEF Assured (Nuclear) is the industry specific standard for assuring deliverers of training in the nuclear sector. It has been specifically developed to assure the standard of training that is delivered ‘in-house’ by nuclear organisations. The standard recognises the need for continuous improvement and for training to impact directly on business objectives. It offers a fast-track approach that:

• Utilises existing and widely used quality assurance standards and systems
• Adds a nuclear sector specific training component to these standards
• Provides a highly valuable, independent validation that enhances an organisation’s approach to training

NEF Assured (Nuclear) was developed by the New Engineering Foundation in collaboration with the industry’s leading skills organisation, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear.

Jean Llewellyn, Chief Executive of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear said: “The NEF Assured (Nuclear) standard will enable the training completed by nuclear organisations to be assured against the Nuclear Industry’s agreed training standards. Employers were keen that an assurance level was established to enable training completed by nuclear employers to be recognised on the Nuclear Skills Passport, alongside training completed by the Skills Academy’s Quality Assured Providers.”

Prof Sa’ad Medhat, NEF’s CEO noted: “NEF has pioneered the development of a standard to assure training deliverers in the nuclear industry. We are determined to create opportunities for other sectors to get their own quality marks and we are working with our partners to bring this idea to life. Assuring the quality of training is the way forward to promote more efficient, safer and innovative working environment.”

Beccy Pleasant, Head of Learning and Development for Magnox North, one of the first Nuclear sites assured, said: “NEF Assured Nuclear was the first standard that I had come across that specifically focused on learning, training and development and I felt that the process more than lived up to expectations.

NEF Assured (Nuclear) status is awarded to those organisations that can demonstrate a high degree of consistency in their approach to training and is a requirement for their ‘in-house’ training to be recorded on the Nuclear Skills Passport. It offers a cost effective means of establishing consistency in education and training approaches across the nuclear sector, supporting the introduction and take-up of the Nuclear Skills Passport and facilitating mobility across the sector, with a focus on safety and excellence throughout.

Organisations that achieve this standard will become part of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear's High Quality Provider Network.

___ENDS___

For further information:

Mary Kinsella
Communications Manager
National Skills Academy Nuclear
Tel: 01925 607045
m.kinsella@nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk
Prof. Sa’ad Medhat
Chief Executive
New Engineering Foundation
Tel: 020 8786 3677
saad.medhat@neweng.org.uk

Notes for editors:

1. Background to NEF and the National Skills Academy Nuclear

1.1. Established in 2004, the New Engineering Foundation (NEF) was established in 2004 as an independent and strategically focused charity that works with Further Education providers and key partners and stakeholders to support advancement in technical and vocational education. NEF delivers its mission through the following four key core activities:

• Instigating research, informing policy and providing advocacy – NEF provides independent support and advice to Government departments and national and regional agencies on SET (science, engineering and technology) education and skills developments, drawing on the evidence based findings from the research we conduct on the opportunities and challenges faced by the FE sector in delivering SET education;
• Supporti ng professional development – NEF delivers an extended range of programmes and provides access to resources for senior managers and practitioners involved in SET education in the FE sector;
• Enabling knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) in FE – NEF develops, pilots and implements innovative solutions to strengthen and sustain collaborative links between employers in SET related sectors and the FE sector;
• Catalysing and driving innovation in FE –NEF develops programmes, initiatives and resources to assist the FE sector in catalysing innovative concepts and practices, driving enhancement in teaching and learning, curriculum development and management and leadership.

1.2. The National Skills Academy for Nuclear is an employer led organisation established in 2008 as a Private Ltd by Guarantee Company to ensure that the UK Nuclear Industry and its Supply Chain has the skilled, competent and safe workforce it needs to deal with the current and future UK nuclear programme, including all sub sectors: Defence, Decommissioning, Operations, Fuel Cycle, Waste Management and more recently New Nuclear Build.The Skills Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cogent Sector Skills Council and is governed by an employer led Board of nominated Member Organisation representatives. The Skills Academy delivers its vision through the following key objectives:

• To develop the capacity and capability of the UK Nuclear workforce, including the Supp ly Chain to support the achievement of the industry’s 2020 Vision;
• To develop a strong and robust Provider Network that has the capacity and capability to deliver to the standards required across the nuclear industry;
• To develop the Skills Academy as a robust and sustainable organisation that can be a really effective and proactive driver for the skills agenda across the nuclear industry.