Lucy, from Cockermouth, West Cumbria, is a technical degree apprentice and started at Sellafield Ltd in 2022.
She works in a team managing quality assurance documents which ensure nuclear safety is protected when nuclear waste is packaged and stored.
One of the highlights of her apprenticeship so far, was being involved in a project designed to overcome robot obsolescence on the Sellafield site.
Another was representing Sellafield Ltd at the Nuclear Week in Parliament Skills and Apprenticeship Fair 2023.
She said:
I was quite surprised when I found out about the nomination. It was a really exciting time when I got the email and I’m looking forward to attending the ceremony.
I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship so far. There have been lots of opportunities to network with different people and learn from subject matter experts. There’s a vast range of roles to venture into and my manager has been really supportive of my development throughout.
The Sellafield Education and Skills team have been really supportive, they helped to arrange trips to the Vandellos reactor site in Barcelona and the CERN research centre in Switzerland as well as many national EDF sites.
These visits have allowed me to reach my level 6 apprenticeship competencies as well as gain knowledge from other areas in the sector.
But Lucy isn’t resting on her laurels, she already has plans for future career development.
She said:
Next year I will be starting my secondment in project management at Sellafield, and I will be finishing my foundation degree and starting my degree in plant engineering.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training and Development Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding achievements in skill enhancement, highlighting exceptional young talent in the sector.
Lucy will find out if she’s been successful at a ceremony in London on 5 November 2024.
Her nomination is the third piece of good news for Sellafield’s apprentice scheme in as many months.
In July, the company was named one of the top 100 apprenticeship employers in England.
And earlier this month, another 300 vocational and degree apprentices and 150 graduates joined the business.
The bumper intake underlined Sellafield Ltd’s commitment to investing in young careers and nurturing future talent to ensure the company continues to drive towards its century-long clean up mission.
Michelle Lambon-Wilks, head of education and skills for Sellafield Ltd, said:
We’re so proud of Lucy’s achievements. We’re all crossing our fingers she wins the award.
But even if she doesn’t, she’s still a fabulous role model for other apprentices and young people considering a career in our industry.
We’ll begin recruiting for next year’s cohort of apprentices in November 2024. Lucy is an example of how far you can go if you’re willing to take a chance and push yourself to achieve.