I decided to apply to NNL after listening to an Energy Institute podcast which discussed the importance of Nuclear Energy to our carbon neutral future. When I looked at the different nuclear grad schemes available, I was impressed by NNL’s focus on innovation in clean energy.
I’ve now joined the Engineering Design Team as a Graduate Chemical Engineer and that’s exactly what I’ve been working on. I work on projects that focus on making advancements in how nuclear fuel can be recycled, either to be used in nuclear powerplants or to be used by the European Space Agency. The work I’ve done so far is very similar to what I studied at university, researching technologies, creating mass balances, flowrate and pressure calculations, etc, but there has also been opportunities for a lot more. I have started working on a European project to promote nuclear chemistry education and have got involved with the Nuclear Institutes Young Generation Network.
I work flexibly between the office in Warrington and my flat in Manchester, I was new to the area but I am really enjoying living here! The best thing about working at NNL is the support; from the Early Careers Team to your manager, everyone is super friendly and ready to help you. You also get a lot of support and training to pursue chartership with the IChemE or whichever professional institute you prefer.
