Home / Programmes / Fusion Futures / FOSTER / Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) for Industry
To achieve its ambitions, FOSTER requires a community of like-minded organisations and companies across industry, who are committed to leverage connections in order to deliver efficiencies, create opportunities, and set the culture of the sector for the future.
With over 4,000 companies now in the supply chain, opportunities are available to enhance skills transfer in and out of the sector. But high competition for skills, both within the fusion sector and from larger and more established adjacent industries, can limit the ability to secure skilled individuals.
Developing an ecosystem where inclusion, collaboration and co-operation co-exist with achieving return on investment and developing tangible intellectual property can help the entire sector expand and grow, delivering both the new ideas and innovations required to bring fusion energy to the grid.
Industrial Visiting Academic Scheme
Visibility of industry professionals in university settings can be a powerful tool for strengthening existing pathways, or the development of new pathways into employment and aligning degree programme strategies to industry need.
This project will set up a new scheme to support visiting lectureships and professorships from professionals in industry, following the model similar to the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professorships scheme. Each award will last for 3 years and will provide subsistence payments (£10,000 to £15,000 per annum) to support staff in the fusion industry to take up short (c.3 week) positions in universities via a yearly competitive process.
Internships
FOSTER is continuing the highly successful internships programme established by the Fusion Industry Programme. This provides industry with connections with an engaged undergraduate community seeking invaluable first steps into a career within the sector. FOSTER provides subsistence payments to interns who are successful with their application, thereby reducing a company’s financial commitment. To improve access, widening participation bursaries are also available. From 2025, we are also expanding the scheme to offer a small number of placements at universities.
STEM Returners
UKAEA has partnered with STEM Returners on a new programme to help engineers return to work following a career break.
The 12-week placement programme will be based at Culham Campus, and includes roles in UKAEA’s robotics division, and with UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS), the delivery body for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant to be built at the West Burton site in Nottinghamshire.
STEM Returners will source the candidates for the programme, and will provide career coaching and mentoring throughout the paid placement. For the right candidates, a permanent role will be offered at the end of the placement.
Visit www.stemreturners.com/placements/ to view STEM Returners’ opportunities.
Training Opportunities
UKAEA has a rolling programme of courses and training opportunities suitable for professionals from across the fusion sector, such as the new Fusion Engineering Academy and the Tritium Training Course which has proved to be a success in providing world-class development. [link: Tritium Training Course a success in sharing UKAEA expertise – Culham Centre for Fusion Energy ]
Visit ukaeaevents.com for the latest list of courses.
Fusion Sector Secondment Scheme
UKAEA is at the initial scoping stages of a scheme that can help industry partners second skilled workforce to each other more flexibly, in order to cope with the peaks and troughs of skills demands and encourage the development of staff in different working environments. Industry representatives are welcome to suggest ideas as to how this might be achieved practically, and any risks or opportunities they foresee.
Email fusionskills@ukaea.uk to arrange a further conversation.
Collaboration Between Industry and Academia
FOSTER has a number of projects for industry and academia to collaborate, such as MSc Project Opportunities, and the Industry PhD Support Scheme.
Visit our FOSTER for Academia page.
Fusion Sector Shared Continuous Professional Development Scheme
FOSTER is looking for industry partners interested in creating fusion-specific training modules that could be delivered to cohorts of cross-industry attendees. We are currently identifying the key topic areas and delivery partners.
Email fusionskills@ukaea.uk to arrange a further conversation.
