Culham Science Centre Expansion

Carter Jonas was appointed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to prepare and submit a planning application to South Oxfordshire District Council to expand the existing Oxfordshire Advanced Skills facility at Culham Science Centre.

The Government-funded £12m Oxfordshire Advanced Skills facility originally opened at Culham Science Centre in September 2019 and is already delivering over 100 advanced engineering apprenticeships a year for the UKAEA and other high-tech companies in the Thames Valley. The aim of Oxfordshire Advanced Skills is to benefit both employers and the apprentices by teaching the competencies expected in the workplace; offering an employer-led training programme; and providing technicians to build regional and UK economic growth.

Building on the success of the existing facility at Culham Science Centre, Carter Jonas has worked alongside UKAEA and their appointed project team to develop an extension to Oxfordshire Advanced Skills to accommodate new training laboratories, workshops and classrooms for additional staff and students. The new two-storey development will also include a double height workshop area and link corridor to the existing facility, with opportunities for breakout space and a landscaped courtyard.

The new facility will allow the training of approximately 90 additional apprentices every year and support job growth across the Thames Valley. Construction of the new facility is set to commence imminently to enable students to enrol in apprenticeships from 2023.