Defence nuclear, which encompasses nuclear reactors for submarines and nuclear warhead manufacturing, has been credited with driving jobs growth in the UK nuclear sector.

The 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) by Cogent Skills, for the Nuclear Workforce Assessment Working Group, found that the overall nuclear workforce grew from 83,000 in 2023 to 96,000 in 2024 – a 15.6% increase.

Cogent Skills is a training provider for the science and technology sector.

The report said: “Recruitment remains strong, with 8,768 new hires, and early career representation is improving, as the number of employees under 20 has nearly doubled, while the proportion of workers over 60 has slightly declined.

“Looking ahead, organisations’ project a workforce demand of 120,000 by 2030, reflecting the sector’s growing skills needs and the importance of talent attraction and retention.”

Nuclear workforce growth driven by defence nuclear

Most (57%) of the growth came from the defence nuclear sector, which covers areas such as nuclear reactors for submarines and nuclear warheads for the UK’s nuclear-armed Trident submarines.

In November 2024, the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) said in a letter from its chair Tim Stone that its members were seeking greater focus by the NIA on nuclear weapons and military applications of nuclear power.

He said: “You told us that you wanted the NIA to do more to explain, promote and expand on opportunities for NIA members in adjacent sectors, including defence nuclear.”

He reported that the NIA has run events in partnership with nuclear security technology firm Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) “to help engage the wider supply chain in opportunities there”.

Rolls-Royce Submarines recently appointed AtkinsRéalis and Mott MacDonald to form the Propel joint venture to lead on designing the expansion of the site.

At the end of 2024, AWE announced it intended to start procurement for the multi-billion pound, multi-year construction of its Future Materials Campus (FMC) which would build the next generation Astraea nuclear warhead for the UK’s Trident submarines.

Negligible increase in proportion of women in sector

Despite efforts within the nuclear sector to increase the proportion of women, such as by Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK),

In 2023, 78% of the workforce was male, 21% female, 1% not declared and less than 1% was non-binary.

In 2024, 70% were male, 22% female, 8% not declared, and less than 1% non-binary.

“While there was clearly a shift in balance, due to an increase in organisational sensitivity around demographic data, it is not completely clear what the gender proportion is, as 8% of the nuclear workforce was not declared,” the report said.

Data sourced directly from employers

Cogent Skills head of research Andrew Jones said: “The 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment represents a significant collaborative achievement spanning the civil and defence nuclear sectors in the UK.

“What sets the NWA apart is its foundation in actual employer data rather than estimates. Through this direct data collection, we’ve established a clearer picture of our 96,000-strong workforce than ever before, with more organisations providing their workforce data for the assessment.

“The report reveals important changes in occupational structures, where our people are located across the UK, and the overall makeup of our workforce. These valuable findings help us address key challenges in building a diverse and sustainable nuclear sector for the future.”

Government says defence nuclear is providing ‘economic opportunity’ 

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Delivering the UK’s nuclear deterrent is truly a national endeavour that brings together government and industry to deliver some of the most complex and technologically advanced programmes the UK has ever undertaken.

“The Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) has a growing demand for nuclear skills, providing new economic opportunity for thousands of people across the country.”

The DNE is a government organisation which is effectively trying to coordinate the subset of the military-industrial complex specifically focused on nuclear capability. DNE partners include the MOD, AWE, Rolls-Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters and BAE Systems.

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