Mick Farley, UCLan's Director for Cumbria

Last updated 22:12, Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Mick Farley

AS THE Government unveiled plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear announced that it has selected the University of Central Lancashire, working with Portsmouth University, to develop leading-edge foundation degrees capable of supporting job progression opportunities in Britain’s nuclear industry.
UCLan is now working to provide up-skilling foundation degrees for school leavers, apprentices, new entrants to the industry and  individuals wishing to retrain. The foundation degrees will be developed with employers in the nuclear industry so that they meet their needs.
They will also be informed by UCLan’s strong research culture provided by the university-owned West Lakes Research Institute located on the Westlakes Science and Technology Park. The institute has an international research reputation in environmental and health-related sciences such as radiation, genetics and epidemiology. Having already pioneered, with Lakes College,  a successful Foundation Degree in Nuclear Decommissioning , part of UCLan’s science offering, the university’s campus at Westlakes is the obvious place to base these new degrees. The campus itself is about to undergo a major modernisation programme, part-funded by West Lakes Renaissance, which will ensure world-class facilities for research and for teaching and learning.
All of this is good news for West Cumbria. It is this strong science tradition that UCLan, amongst other things, will bring as a co-sponsor, alongside Sellafield Ltd. and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, to the new West Lakes Academy.
This will open in September 2008 in the existing Wyndham School building following the closure of both Wyndham and Ehenside schools. Construction of a brand new building for the academy on the Wyndham site is due to begin in 2009 and be completed no later than 2011. This is also good news for West Cumbria.
Another reason for UCLan’s co-sponsorship of the Academy is the belief that higher education should be an integral part of the learning experience for all young people studying  there. So UCLan will facilitate young people visiting the University and will offer appropriate higher education modules to students in the sixth form. The sponsors want more and more young people to stay in education after 16 and want more and more of them to go on to university. UCLan will involve university staff and students with the academy across the whole curriculum to raise aspirations and help ensure that young people attending the academy have skills and qualifications fit for adult and working life in the 21st Century.