Delivering the next generation of nuclear skills and jobs

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Centrica and X‑energy, together with Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool College of Further Education, and the Hartlepool Development Corporation, today (Friday) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Hartlepool to establish a new Nuclear and Electrical Trades Academy (the “Trades Academy”) that will equip local people for high value careers in the clean energy sector.

The signing was formally witnessed by The Rt Hon Bridget Philipson MP, Secretary of State for Education, alongside Jonathan Brash MP for Hartlepool, demonstrating the importance placed by national and local leaders on expanding technical education, investing in people, and securing long‑term opportunity for the region.

Building on Hartlepool’s proud legacy at the heart of the UK’s nuclear industry, the Trades Academy will offer high quality technical training, literacy and numeracy support, and structured pathways into employment in clean energy, nuclear, and associated industries. The preferred location for the Trades Academy is the former Binns department store building in the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, supported by £13.8 million in capital investment committed by Hartlepool Borough Council. The partners have committed to work together on the design, location, funding and delivery of the new Trades Academy. 

This initiative forms part of a wider collaboration between Centrica and X‑energy to deploy X‑energy’s Xe‑100 advanced high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactor (HTGR) technology across the UK, with the preferred first site in Hartlepool - with an aim to bring reliable, clean energy to UK homes and driving economic growth in the region and beyond.

Earlier this week, Centrica and X‑energy submitted their formal proposal for entry into the Government’s Advanced Nuclear Framework (ANF) Pipeline (the “Pipeline”), following the publication of the framework in February 2026. Entry into the Pipeline would enable the partnership to contribute directly to the UK’s long‑term goals on clean power, energy security, and industrial innovation.

Hartlepool has played a defining role in the UK’s civil nuclear story for generations. The Trades Academy will ensure that the town remains at the forefront of the sector’s future by ensuring that local people are first in line to benefit from the next wave of investment and industrial growth.

Through close collaboration between industry, local government, education partners and civic leaders, the Trades Academy will create long‑term training, apprenticeships and skilled employment pathways - opening doors for young people and adults, supporting local trades, and strengthening the regional clean‑energy supply chain.

The partnership will also support local schools and community engagement, helping inspire young people into STEM disciplines and ensuring the clean‑energy transition delivers enduring prosperity for Hartlepool.

Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive, Centrica, said: “Hartlepool has been at the heart of the UK’s nuclear success for more than half a century. Our aim is to ensure that the next generation of clean‑energy jobs stays rooted here too. This partnership is about giving young people the skills, confidence and pathways to build their futures in a sector that will support Britain for decades to come. We’ve got big ambitions for Hartlepool - not just to host new nuclear technology, but to become one of the UK’s leading centres for clean energy skills and training. That means real opportunities, real investment, and long‑term careers for local people as the town leads the next chapter of the UK’s energy story.”

Alistair Black, Vice President, X‑energy, said: “The nuclear industry runs on skilled people, and this academy will help provide a first-class workforce to support a new proposed power station at Hartlepool. These will be real, long-term careers in a growing industry - high quality well-paid work that people can build a life around, close to home. That kind of opportunity can make a genuine and lasting difference to communities here.  We’ll bring everything we know about our exciting Xe-100 technology to support the training, so that every person who comes through here leaves with qualifications that the whole industry will respect.”

Minister for Nuclear Lord Vallance said: “We are seizing the opportunity to become a frontrunner in pioneering nuclear technology, recently launching our Advanced Nuclear Framework to get projects off the ground. Hartlepool is primed to benefit, and this academy will train up the next generation of highly skilled workers to take advantage of the thousands of well-paid, good jobs on offer as part of the clean energy transition.”

The Rt Hon Bridget Philipson MP, Secretary of State for Education, said: “Britain’s clean‑energy transition will only succeed if we match investment in new technologies with investment in people. Today’s agreement is exactly the kind of partnership we want to see: industry leading the way, communities at the heart of it, and young people gaining access to the skills and opportunities of the future.”

Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, said: “For years, Britain has talked a good game about skills while failing to train the workers the country actually needs. This Academy is about changing that. With new nuclear coming to Hartlepool, there will be thousands of skilled jobs. This deal is about making sure local people are first in the queue, not watching opportunities pass us by. This is about proper trades, real skills and decent jobs. Training on our doorstep, linked directly to employers, and focused on the skills that will power and rebuild Hartlepool and the country for decades. Bringing the old Binns building back into use as a modern trades academy also shows what regeneration should look like, not talk, but action that people can see and benefit from.”

Cllr Pamela Hargreaves, Council Leader and Chair of Economic Growth & Regeneration Committee, Hartlepool Council, said: “When we secured this landmark nuclear deal, I was absolutely clear about one thing: Hartlepool must come first. A deal of this scale must deliver real jobs, real skills and real futures for the people who live here. That’s why, over the last six months, I’ve been personally driving this forward, bringing together X Energy, Centrica and our fantastic FE College to turn the vision of a Trades Academy into a reality. We’ve committed £13.8 million to transform the old Binns building, and I’ve worked to secure the backing needed to get this project over the line.

“This isn’t just another announcement, it’s a generational investment in Hartlepool’s future. It will open the door for local people to train for skilled, well-paid careers right here at home, while helping deliver the workforce Britain needs for the nuclear industries of tomorrow. Put simply: this is about making sure the biggest opportunities coming to our town are seized by Hartlepool people. And I’m proud to have led the charge to make it happen.”

Gary Riches, Vice Principal, Hartlepool College of Further Education, said: “Hartlepool College of Further Education stands ready to deliver the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will make this Trades Academy a success. But technical training alone is not enough. The industries of the future need people with the right attitude, behaviours and confidence - individuals whose character shines through in the workplace. That blend of skill and personal development has been at the heart of what we do since 1849, and it’s why our learners go on to thrive in high‑demand, high‑skill sectors. We are proud to play our part in ensuring Hartlepool people are first in line for the opportunities this investment will unlock.”