UK-Canada Joint Workshop on Nuclear Skills
6-7 March 2006 Toronto, Canada

The British High Commission Ottawa and the Canadian High Commission London convened a UK/ Canada Workshop in Nuclear Skills in Toronto on March 6 and 7, 2006. This event brought together around 25 UK and Canadian leaders in nuclear skills training to share best practice and explore opportunities for continued dialogue and mutually beneficial collaborations.

The workshop covered topics such as university networks and courses, skills in decommissioning and waste management, research facilities, programmes and funding opportunities. Details appear below (summary talks to come).

  • Agenda
  • Biographies of participants: UK, Canada
  • Contact details  [password protected]
  • Country fact sheets: UK, Canada
  • Collaboration ideas
  • Session 1: Introduction to the UK and Canada – the political environment for nuclear power and overview of skills situation.
    • Keith Parker, Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Industries Association, UK
    • Duncan Hawthorne, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power, Canada
    • Moderated report? by Martin Hill, Counsellor, Economic, Science and Trade, British High Commission
  • Session 2: University Networks and Courses.
    • UNENE – a Canadian initiative, R.M. Mathur, President, UNENE, Canada
    • Jon Billowes, Deputy Director, Dalton Institute, UK
    • George Bereznai, Dean of Energy Engineering and Nuclear Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada
    • Robin Grimes, Imperial College, UK
    • Moderator report by Bill Garland, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, McMaster University and UNENE Program Director and Secretary / Treasurer
  • Session 3: How do we make the nuclear sector a more appealing career option?
    • Young person’s perspective
    • National Strategies for overcoming skills shortages
      • Colin Mitchell, Department of Trade and Industry, UK
      • Pierre Guimond, Canadian Nuclear Association, Canada
    • Questions and discussion moderated by: Julia Hinde, First Secretary Science and Technology, British High Commission
  • Session 4: Industrial Skills Training – Decommissioning and Waste Management
    • Nigel Couzens and Neil Smart, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, UK
    • Syed Rizvi, Manager, Staffing and Training, Ontario Power Generation, Canada
    • John Roberts, Manager, Immobilisation Science Laboratory, University of Sheffield, UK
    • David Shoesmith, Professor, University of Western Ontario, Canada
    • Questions and discussion moderated by: Sean Russell, Technical Adviser, Nuclear Waste Management Organisation, Canada
  • Summary of day 1 R.M. Mathur, President, UNENE, Canada
  • Session 5: Industrial Skills Training: Reactor Technology
  • Session 6: Nuclear R&D: funding initiatives
  • Session 6 (cont): Nuclear R&D: facilities and programs
    • Sylvana Guindon/ Steve Bushby, Natural Resources Canada
    • Nuclear Facilities, Education & Programs, Simon Walker, Imperial College, London
    • John Luxat, McMaster University, Canada
    • University Research Alliances: A Leeds perspective, Simon Biggs, Director, Nexia Solutions/Leeds University Research Alliance in Particle Science and Engineering, UK
    • Questions and discussion moderated by: Nick Stuart, Head of Science and Technology, UK Trade and Investment
  • Session 7: Opportunities for research collaborations.
    • Participants with active research programmes have maximum of 5 minutes for an ‘elevator pitch’ of their research (powerpoint slides not necessary).
    • Questions moderated by: Jean Koclas, Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal
  • Session 7 (cont): Opportunities for research collaborations. Participants with active research programmes have maximum of 5 minutes for an ‘elevator pitch’ of their research. Questions moderated by: Rick Holt, Queens University
  • The way forward. Paul Howarth, Head of Group Science and Skills Strategy, BNFL
  • Summary report
  • Visit to McMaster University