New Apprenticeship Programmes Strengthen UK Nuclear and Fusion Skills
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and MTC Training have launched two new apprenticeship programmes at the Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) Training Centre in Culham to address national skills shortages in the nuclear and fusion sectors. The programmes focus on developing Health Physics Monitors and Decommissioning Operatives, with all 2025 intake positions already filled.
The collaboration supports the Government’s Fusion Futures investment under the FOSTER programme, aimed at creating a robust pipeline of talent for the clean energy sector. The courses were developed with input from UKAEA experts to ensure alignment with real-world needs. Learners will gain hands-on experience at Culham’s fusion research facilities while studying critical aspects such as radiological monitoring, safety compliance, and decommissioning operations.
UKAEA’s Head of Fusion Skills, Nick Walkden, highlighted the initiative as part of the UK’s commitment to expanding its qualified clean energy workforce. MTC Training’s Business Development Director, Chris Rooum, emphasised the growing demand for skilled professionals amid the nation’s nuclear renaissance. Further specialist courses, including those in nuclear welding and maintenance, are set to begin in 2025 and 2026.
Barbara Woroncow Reappointed as Trustee of the Royal Armouries
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reappointed Barbara Woroncow as Trustee to the Royal Armouries Board for a further term of four years beginning 1 January 2026. The Royal Armouries, a national museum and arms collection, continues to benefit from Woroncow’s decades of leadership and expertise in the museum sector.
Barbara Woroncow began her career as a curator of ethnographic collections in local authority museum services before becoming Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Museums Council, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. She has also worked internationally as a consultant for UNESCO across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Southern Caucasus, specialising in change management.
An elected former President of the UK Museums Association, she was awarded an OBE in 2000 for her contributions to museums. Currently, she chairs the Collections, Research and Learning Committee of the Royal Armouries and serves as Trustee of the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby. She holds degrees from Cambridge and Leicester Universities and resides in Leeds. The reappointment was made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, and she has declared no political activity in the last five years. Trustees of the Royal Armouries are unpaid.
£1 Million Defence Innovation Fund Launched for Testing and Evaluation
The UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), under the Ministry of Defence’s Test and Evaluation Transformation Programme, has launched a new Themed Competition titled Delivering Future Advantage Through Testing and Evaluation (Phase 1). The initiative, with funding of up to £1 million (excluding VAT), seeks innovative proposals that can improve deployable testing and evaluation (T&E) capabilities and regulatory processes across multiple military domains.
The competition includes two challenges. The first focuses on the development of deployable or mobile T&E systems enabling high-fidelity testing in operational environments without withdrawing assets from service. The second challenge targets technological or process solutions to accelerate assurance and safety validation throughout capability development. The submission deadline is 20 January 2026, with webinars scheduled for 19 November and 2 December 2025 to assist potential applicants.
British High Commission in Malaysia Observes Remembrance Day Service
The British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur organised the annual Remembrance Day Service at Tugu Negara, attended by members of the diplomatic and defence communities, Malaysian Armed Forces representatives, veterans’ associations, and the public. The event marked 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
British High Commissioner Ajay Sharma CMG reflected on the courage and sacrifice of those who served in wartime and underscored the importance of collective remembrance and peace. The ceremony featured performances by The International School @ Park City and readings of classic wartime poetry by retired military officers and defence officials. The observance concluded with two minutes of silence and the laying of wreaths in tribute to the fallen. Remembrance Day is commemorated annually on the second Sunday of November.
Derbyshire Recycling Firm Fined £90,000 for Waste Permit Breach
Johnsons Aggregates and Recycling Ltd of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £49,886.75 in costs following prosecution by the Environment Agency for breaching an environmental permit. The company admitted to unlawfully spreading ash over approximately five acres of neighbouring land between March 2021 and June 2022, contrary to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
The Environment Agency found that despite repeated warnings and deadlines, the company failed to remove the ash from unauthorised areas. The waste had accumulated due to disposal challenges during the Covid period. The case underlines the Agency’s commitment to enforcing environmental compliance and protecting communities and legitimate businesses from illegal waste activities.