MSP Workforce Solution for Utilities Leader Northumbrian Water

The Future of Nuclear energy with Guillem Sanchis Ramírez

Planting the seeds of passion for Nuclear energy For some, a career path is a straight line. For others, it’s a winding journey sparked by chance encounters. For Guillem, the spark came from an unexpected place: a high school teacher. At the time, it was just a passing idea. But, like the film Inception, the idea became a seed that lay dormant until years later, when Guillem was studying physics. When faced with the choice of which path to take, he explored everything from batteries to renewables. Yet he kept circling back to nuclear. It promised not only scale and reliability but also the chance to make a real impact on the future of clean energy. That decision led Guillem to pursue a Master’s in Nuclear in 2021. Just a few years later, he’s part of the team at IDOM Consulting in Barcelona, contributing to projects both in Spain and internationally. Guillem specialises in thermohydraulics - building and tuning plant models to test new systems before they go anywhere near a live reactor. He describes the work as dynamic, varied, and constantly challenging, in the best way. “I spend most of my time on thermohydraulics… Running computer simulations of how a power plant works. You get to experiment with models and try out new systems that then go into real nuclear plant operations. It’s definitely challenging but I love how dynamic the work is. We do all sorts of projects, from the operation of established plants to research reactors to fusion. You get to learn a lot of different points of view in the industry, and that’s been really enjoyable.” Bridging the perception gap Despite supplying nearly 20% of Spain’s electricity in 2024, nuclear energy has long suffered from weak public support. Guillem points to decades of poor communication as one of the reasons. For too long, the loudest voices in the debate were its critics, leaving the industry without a strong narrative of its own. But times are changing for the future of nuclear energy. With climate change accelerating the need for low-carbon energy, nuclear is stepping back into the spotlight as part of the solution. In April 2024, 58% of Spaniards supported extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants, reflecting growing acceptance of nuclear’s role in energy transition. This is a stark contrast to 2011, when Spain ranked among the most opposed countries to nuclear energy, with 55% of Spaniards saying they wanted all nuclear plants closed. However, 70% of Spaniards felt the government was not ensuring a fair energy transition, suggesting that while support is rising, people remain concerned about how the transition is managed. For Guillem, that evolving balance mirrors what he encounters when he talks about his career. Instead of fear, the most common reaction he encounters is curiosity. That curiosity is powerful. It opens the door to conversations where myths can be challenged and facts can be shared. For Guillem, each question is a chance to turn curiosity into understanding and understanding into support. Advocacy through Econucleares Guillem’s passion to spark a new kind of public conversation doesn’t stop at his day job. Together with a colleague, he co-founded Econucleares, an organisation dedicated to keeping Spain’s reactors open and changing perceptions of the industry. It’s an urgent mission. According to government proposals, Spain’s seven reactors, responsible for around 20% of the country’s electricity, could be closed within the next decade. For Guillem, that makes little sense, either economically or environmentally. Econucleares' aim is to put Spain firmly back on the nuclear map, alongside the many countries now expanding their programmes. Globally, momentum is growing. More than 20 countries have pledged to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, with landmark projects like ITER in France pushing the boundaries of fusion research. Part of the group’s mission is to make nuclear more relatable. A favourite of Guillem’s was a mug printed with the Spanish wording ‘La cantidad de combustible nuclear que necesitas para toda tu vida cabe en esta taza.’ It implied that a single mug could contain all the nuclear fuel required for an individual's lifetime. “It’s very visual,” he says with a smile. “People loved it.” Powering the future of nuclear energy As Guillem is quick to stress, technology alone won’t secure the future of nuclear. It will be people who decide its fate. And here lies one of the industry’s biggest challenges: talent. Across Europe and beyond, the nuclear workforce is ageing. The next generation of engineers, physicists, electricians, and welders will be critical to meeting future demand. “The key bottleneck seems to be qualified workers,” Guillem explains. The demand spans every level of expertise. For young people, nuclear offers a career that is both well-paid and respected. For experienced professionals in other sectors, from coal to renewables, retraining can open the door to opportunities in an industry that will shape our energy future. It’s about reframing nuclear for what it truly is: a vital part of tackling climate change and securing clean, reliable energy. As Guillem puts it, nuclear has the power to deliver ‘a future of abundance, of clean, affordable energy’. Whether that vision becomes reality will depend on how boldly the industry tells its story and how many people, like Guillem, are inspired to be part of it. Ready to start your own nuclear career? View our latest nuclear jobs. Watch the full interview here.

From Scarcity to Abundance: Unlocking Talent in Critical Infrastructure

John Shepherd, Client Services Director at Rullion, recently sat down with Lindsay Harrison, Rullion’s Chief Customer Officer and Chair for Engineering Recruitment at APSCo UK, to examine why the skills shortage story in energy industry recruitment agencies and engineering needs to change. Their conversation explored how an abundance mindset, grounded in inclusion, transferable skills and smarter workforce strategies, can help critical infrastructure employers unlock hidden talent pools and build the capability needed for the decade ahead. Energy consumption overall is declining while electricity demand is surging. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, AI and data centres are driving a projected 50% rise in demand by 2035. The shift is powered by Net Zero goals, energy security and rapid technology adoption. The pull is so strong that firms like Microsoft and Google are investing directly in the Energy sector. “This isn’t something coming down the road,” John explains. “We’re in it right now.” The energy transition could create nearly three quarters of a million green jobs in the UK by 2030. The Nuclear Industry Association’s jobs map shows civil nuclear roles rising from 64,000 to 87,000 in three years. The Financial Times reports green jobs up 36% since 2015. These are not abstract statistics. They reflect projects Rullion supports, from Hinkley Point C to Sizewell C. If those roles are being filled, talent exists. The challenge is access. The Challenge with the Scarcity Narrative Negative headlines dominate LinkedIn, trade journals, and national news. “Skills shortage” grabs attention, stirs emotion, and generates clicks. But, as John points out: “News is designed to be bad and negative. It grabs attention. It stirs up emotion. It’s clickbait. That scarcity narrative is stifling opportunity.” The reality is that the UK energy recruitment market is growing. The bigger challenge isn’t the absence of talent; it’s the barriers we’ve created that stop it flowing into the right roles. Lindsay adds a customer lens. Clients tell her they cannot find people, yet the real issue is how talent is defined, where it is sought and how candidates experience the journey. Reframing those inputs unlocks supply. Challenge 1: Rigid Job Specifications Overly prescriptive job specs, especially those demanding exact, like-for-like industry experience, instantly narrow the search and shut out skilled candidates. In critical infrastructure, where delivery deadlines are tight and skill demands shift quickly, this rigidity can slow projects and drive-up costs. Some qualifications are non-negotiable, but industry-specific experience isn’t always essential. As John points out: “Great engineers from aerospace, defence, and construction can bring huge value. They’re problem solvers, safety-minded, and used to working in complex, regulated environments.” These sectors operate under stringent compliance requirements, manage high-risk projects, and demand the same precision and safety culture as energy sector roles. Overlooking these candidates because they haven’t “done it here before” means missing out on proven capability. Challenge 2: Candidate Experience Barriers The process shapes outcomes. If interviews lack inclusion, feedback is unclear or applications are hard to complete, strong candidates step away before shortlist. The effect is even sharper for underrepresented groups. This is a priority area for Lindsay. “Every interaction matters,” she says. “From the language in a job description to who is on the panel, the experience tells candidates whether they belong. If it does not feel inclusive, great people disengage before they can show what they can do.” Treating candidates as customers improves conversion and strengthens reputation across Energy recruitment communities. Challenge 3: Overlooked Talent Pools Veterans. Neurodiverse professionals. Returning parents. Mid-career switchers. These people bring the mindset and capabilities to excel in critical infrastructure, yet traditional screening often filters them out. “They’re all here,” John says. “They’re all skilled. They’re all ready. But in many cases, they’re being overlooked because of outdated systems, processes, and mindsets.” CV gaps, career changes and non-linear paths are interpreted as risk instead of potential. Lindsay argues for evidence over assumptions and points to lived examples. Challenge 4: Shared Responsibility The responsibility for change doesn’t sit solely with recruiters. Hiring managers, in-house talent teams, and recruitment partners all play a role in broadening searches and challenging old habits. As Lindsay puts it: “It’s not one-sided. We all need to look wider than we have in the past.” This means collaboration at every stage. From shaping job specs and identifying transferable skills, to designing inclusive selection processes that open the gates rather than narrowing them. Four Solutions for an Abundant Workforce 1. Change the Mindset Scarcity talk grows the problem. John’s advice is simple: ask better questions. Where else can we look, what is truly essential, what can be trained and how do we widen the gate without compromising safety or quality? “If we keep saying we can’t find talent, the problem will only get bigger,” John warns. 2. Open the Gates with Inclusive Hiring By rethinking job specs, reducing unnecessary barriers, and designing inclusive selection processes, employers can attract a wider range of applicants, and benefit from the innovation and resilience that come with diversity. Lindsay champions consistent feedback loops so candidates feel respected even when the answer is no. That reputation compounds over time. 3. Build Talent, Don’t Just Buy It Rullion’s Train to Deploy model converts abundance into delivery. Identify high-potential people on behaviours and learning agility, upskill them with project-specific training and deploy them into roles that add value from day one. As part of our broader Train to Deploy Strategy, this helps Energy sector employers build internal capability instead of competing for a shrinking external pool. The result is faster readiness, better retention and teams formed around real work rather than perfect CVs. 4. Tell the Positive Stories Stories shift markets. Case studies of hires from non-traditional backgrounds show what good looks like and attract more of it. “The more we talk positively, the more people will listen,” John says. “The more people who listen will be drawn to this sector, and then you gain momentum.” Lindsay’s view is practical: publish the wins, spotlight the teams and make success visible so others follow. See Rosie’s story from rail contracting, where flexibility and neurodiversity became advantages rather than obstacles: Rosie on rail contracting, flexibility and neurodiversity A Call to the Sector The UK’s energy and wider growth in critical infrastructure create one of the largest workforce shifts in decades. Leaders who move from scarcity to abundance will stop competing for the same small pool and start creating a broader, sustainable pipeline. Lindsay sums it up: “If we want a workforce that can deliver the future, we must open the gate to people with potential, not only those who tick every box.” John’s line completes the thought that talent isn’t scarce. Opportunity is gate. “Our job is to open the gates.” Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/8bwXFDm2-NE

Building a Business Case for a Train to Deploy Workforce Strategy

What is a Train to Deploy Workforce Strategy? Train to Deploy is a scalable, future-focused workforce solution. It replaces legacy recruitment with a sustainable approach that combines behaviour-first hiring with bespoke, role-specific training, enabling you to deploy work-ready people aligned with your business from day one. Here’s how to position a Train to Deploy workforce strategy as the strategic answer your business needs now. Step 1: Define the Problem Clearly Before you pitch a solution, your first job is to make the cost of doing nothing impossible to ignore. Here are 5 signs your workforce needs a Train to Deploy strategy to get you started. Use hard data to show where your current hiring model is falling short and what that’s costing you. Start by asking questions your leaders will care about: Skills gaps Are the same roles being readvertised month after month? Are niche capabilities slowing or stalling project delivery? Is critical knowledge walking out the door as retirements rise? Project risk Are high vacancy rates impacting timelines and team cohesion? Do long onboarding periods stall delivery and productivity? Can your team scale quickly enough for upcoming project peaks? If time-to-hire is 45+ days and onboarding takes another 30+ days, how much delivery time are you losing? Diversity gaps Are legacy hiring filters limiting access to diverse, high-potential candidates? Are you falling short on DEI or ESG bid requirements in public sector or regulated tenders? Do you lack scalable, measurable programmes to attract, develop, and retain under-represented talent? Step 2: Quantify the Cost of Inaction Your goal is to then articulate the long-term risks of continuing with business as usual. To get stakeholder buy-in, you need to frame the commercial impact of inaction. Make sure you define both direct costs and knock-on consequences of not addressing your current approach. Recruitment costs Add up your full cost per hire: agency fees, internal resource time, readvertising, interview panels, onboarding, and early attrition. The average cost per hire in the UK is £3,000–£5,000. For 30 hires per year, that’s £90K - £150K before you account for the cost of replacing those who leave early. Then factor in: First-year attrition Contractor spend to plug gaps Time-to-productivity lag with ramp-up times resulting in value not being delivered Productivity loss and project delays Every week a role remains unfilled, you lose delivery hours. Every month a new hire is onboarding, and your project velocity drops. Delayed milestones = missed SLAs or penalty clauses Lost momentum = increased risk of burnout in stretched teams Lower team efficiency = knock-on delays in other workstreams Even a 10-day hiring delay across 5 projects can equate to hundreds of lost delivery hours or tens of thousands in opportunity cost. Missed ESG & social value metrics For public sector frameworks and many regulated sectors, bids require proof of community investment and inclusive hiring. If you’re failing to demonstrate social value or provide measurable DEI outcomes, you could be missing out on commercial opportunities. Step 3: Train to Deploy Proposition Once you’ve demonstrated the cost of inaction, you’ll need to demonstrate how a Train to Deploy workforce strategy can address the real problem. Your workforce model no longer fits today’s reality. Behaviour-first sourcing Instead of relying on CVs and past job titles, Train to Deploy starts with what really matters: mindset, adaptability, learning agility, and culture fit. How it solves the problem: Increases retention by hiring based on long-term fit; when people align with your values and environment from day one, they’re more likely to stay long term. Helps de-risk hiring by aligning people to your ways of working before they start TTD solutions remove traditional hiring barriers, opening doors to all those able to demonstrate the right behaviours and potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. We call this “inclusion without limits”: if someone has the right behaviours, we build the skillset. Bespoke, role-aligned training A Train to Deploy programme delivers tailored technical development, embedding the systems, standards, and compliance frameworks your teams use day-to-day. How it solves the problem: It simplifies procurement with one contract and one partner, with complete visibility. Shortens onboarding time as readiness is built into the training Increases long-term capability with all hires being trained to the same standards and expectations as your existing teams. Meaning less need for post-hire correction, shadowing, or retraining. New hires start work with the right frameworks, protocols, and requirements, improving compliance and operational risk. We co-design the training with you and act as a conduit between your business and training providers while managing the heavy lifting of sourcing, screening, training, deployment, and mentoring. Deploying work-ready talent After training, talent is deployed directly into your team, already aligned with your culture, systems, and technical needs. The transition is seamless because we’ve already embedded your systems, culture, and team dynamics into their preparation. We also offer mentoring and coaching during deployment to support success. The benefits: Enables faster productivity and better collaboration Builds confidence and cohesion in high-stakes environments Supports smoother team integration and day-one impact Scalable, predictable talent pipelines With TTD, rather than reacting to workforce gaps, you’re building capability in anticipation of future need. Whether for seasonal peaks, project launches, or expansion into new capabilities, you can scale talent development in line with strategic goals. The benefits: Reduces contractor reliance by developing permanent, aligned talent Smooths hiring cycles with a predictable, flexible pipeline Helps you respond faster to new project requirements or capability shifts Step 4: Anticipate Stakeholder Priorities Your case needs to work across commercial, operational, and organisational priorities. Read our quick rundown of the ROI of building talent internally. Here’s how to tailor your message to what matters most to each stakeholder: Finance Long-term cost avoidance with fewer agency fees, less attrition/higher retention, fewer cycles of rehiring, and reduced onboarding lag Reduced dependency on costly contractors with internal pipeline Long-term cost predictability and spend control through a single all-in solution “We can reduce agency costs by 30–50% and improve first-year retention by 40% with a Train to Deploy workforce strategy.” Procurement Ability to consolidate vendor management with one trusted supplier managing sourcing, training, and deployment Alignment with existing workforce, training frameworks, and compliance with industry and safety regulations Commercial flexibility to scale up or down based on needs Operations Highlight reduced time-to-productivity and onboarding lag with bespoke training embedding tools and systems into learning Readiness in safety-critical and regulated environments through training Demonstrate retaining institutional knowledge through structured training, shadowing, and handovers Highlight reduced dependency on external contractors with an aligned, trained internal pipeline CSR / DEI Leads Inclusion with real impact on career switchers, returners, veterans, and under-represented communities Measurable progress on social value targets through inclusive pathways Position TTD as truly inclusive hiring. Rullion’s model focuses on “inclusion without limits”; the door is open to all those who have the right behaviours and potential. Step 5: Building a Clear Case for Change Reframe the narrative from patching your hiring process to building capability for the future. This can help shift the conversation from “Why would we?” to “Why wouldn’t we?” Current Approach Train to Deploy Plugging gaps Building long-term capability Spending reactively Investing in readiness Chasing CVs Developing aligned, inclusive talent Onboarding after hiring Delivery work-ready teams from day one