iHub set to be home to new Rolls-Royce nuclear skills academy

The iHub, on Derby’s Infinity Park, is set to be the home of a new Rolls-Royce academy dedicated to nuclear training.

In May, Rolls-Royce Submarines announced its intention to create the Nuclear Skills Academy to develop future generations of talent.

It has since been announced that it will be based at the iHub, which is owned by Derby City Council and managed by Connect Derby.

In partnership with the University of Derby, the academy, which is due to open in September, will create 200 new apprenticeships every year for at least the next 10 years.

Councillor Chris Poulter, leader of the city council, said: “It’s so important that we grow and nurture talent in Derby, and with 2,000 apprenticeships set to be created over the next 10 years, we’re delighted to be facilitating such a significant project through the use of our iHub.”

Steve Carlier, president of submarines at Rolls-Royce, said: “We are fortunate enough to have some of the smartest minds on the planet working for us and the iHub is the perfect place to nurture and develop the nuclear experts of tomorrow.”

For 60 years, Rolls-Royce has provided the power for all of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines from its base in Raynesway, Derby.

Its work ensures submariners have the power to protect the UK’s interests at home and further afield and the new Nuclear Skills Academy will maintain that capability long into the future.

Mr Carlier said: “Being born and bred in Derby, I am immensely proud that we are playing our part in further boosting the area’s reputation for engineering excellence.

“The UK is embarking on a nuclear renaissance, and we are determined to make the East Midlands the home of nuclear expertise for decades to come.”

The new apprenticeships will be led by the University of Derby and will be spread across four courses: nuclear engineering degree apprenticeship, business degree apprenticeship, nuclear engineering technician apprenticeship and advanced engineering apprenticeship.

A stone’s throw from Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division, Infinity Park is a manufacturing-focused innovation and technology site.

As well as the Nuclear Skills Academy, it will also be home to a Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Currently under construction, the Nuclear AMRC building will provide 4,300 sq metres of new floorspace dedicated to research and development, which will support productivity growth and sustainable practises within the manufacturing sector.

The building will also be home to the University of Derby’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Manufacturing (IISE), which will carry out research, innovation, supply chain development and teaching.

Professor Kathryn Mitchel CBE, vice-chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “At Derby, we understand the importance of ensuring we have the next generation of graduates ready to meet the region’s skills needs, so to be playing a key role in the creation of a Nuclear Skills Academy in Derby is incredibly exciting.

“Through this collaboration with Rolls-Royce, Derby City Council, the National College for Nuclear and the Nuclear AMRC, we can further enhance Derby’s international reputation as a centre for industrial innovation and keep the city at the cutting edge of engineering and manufacturing, providing some of the most exciting and globally significant developments as we drive the recovery and future prosperity of our city and region.”

Councillor Poulter said: “The creation of this Skills Academy is a really exciting opportunity for Derby.

“We have already firmly cemented our name as world leaders in innovation and technology, and with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) and University of Sheffield, the National College for Nuclear, and the University of Derby all supporting this project, we’re poised for success once more.”