Technical Specialist Trainee
Scheme / Degree Apprenticeships
Information Guide
Introduction
Gen2 and a number of other local companies will be starting
another successful and highly sought after Technical
Specialist Trainee Scheme (now also known as the Degree
Apprenticeship Nuclear) in September 2016. Gen2 currently
work with Sellafield Ltd, Morgan Sindall, NNL, Jacobs and
AMEC to deliver this scheme.
The scheme will be centered around a Foundation Degree
in Plant Engineering and will encompass a range of handson experience and theory and possible progression to the
Honours Degree.
The application process
Our recruitment portal is available on our website at www.
gen2.ac.uk from 6th January 2016 until 29th February 2016.
Applicants will need to complete a detailed online application
form.
All candidates who complete an application form will then be
invited to take a series of Aptitude Tests which will take place
during February and March.
Those who attain a minimum requirement within these tests
and have a suitable academic profile will be invited to an
assessment centre on Monday 18th April 2016.
Formal interviews with employers will take place between
19th April 2016 and 11th May 2016. You will be allocated an
interview slot at the end of the Assessment Centre day on 18th
April 2016 for Sellafield Ltd interviews. All other companies
will contact you directly to book an interview slot. You may
be invited to several interviews depending on how many
Companies are recruiting for the scheme this year.
Offers will be sent out to those who are successful for
Sellafield Ltd in the middle of May 2016. All other Companies
will make their offers any time between May and August
2016. Those who have not been successful will be similarly
notified. Some applicants will be placed on a reserve list, and
will be told they may be offered a firm place if any spaces
become available.
All offers will be conditional on passing both medical screening
and security checks. Medical screening includes tests for
signs of alcohol and illegal substance abuse. The training will
commence during the first week of September 2016.
Where will my training take place?
Your induction and Phase 1 training will take place at Gen2’s
Department of Engineering and Energy Technology, based in
the Energus Facility at Lillyhall, Workington. Phase 1 training
will also encompass familiarisation with the workplace.
Phase 2 of the training will be based with your sponsoring
company and day release to Gen2 for study on the degree.
Duration
The Degree Level Apprenticeship (formerly known
as the Technical Specialist Trainee scheme) is
delivered in three phases over 5 years and 16
weeks.
Phase 1 is a 16 week intensive course in which
candidates will study technical modules
designed primarily to assess the students academic
ability and suitability for progression to phase 2.
Phase 2 training is the Foundation phase (Level
5) and will be a mixture of theory delivered in a
classroom environment (1 day per week) for three
years combined with real work activities.
Completing Phase 2 may lead to phase 3 which is
the Development phase (Level 6), studying towards
the BEng honours degree.
Contractual arrangements
Selected students will have at least 240 UCAS
points at A level (which will include successful study
at A2), ideally with an achieved/attained STEM
subject at Grade C or above as well as a suitable
GCSE profile and have successfully passed the
Gen2 aptitude test. Successful candidates will be
offered a 16 week training programme with Gen2.
Upon successful completion of this programme,
students will enter a three year fixed-term contract
with an Employer which is subject to satisfactory
pre-employment checks. Failure to complete the
four month Gen2 programme will lead to the
student leaving the programme at this point.
Progress during the three year fixed-term contract
will be continuously monitored and assessed.
Successful progress will be rewarded with
annual pay progression. Poor performance will
be dealt with under the Company’s existing poor
performance procedures.
Failure to meet the achievement levels required
under the training programme will lead to
termination of employment at the end of the fixed
term contract period.
Types of TSTS job roles:
• Plant Systems Engineer/Technician
• Design Engineering/Technician (Electrical and
Mechanical)
• Control Systems Technician
• Nuclear Plant Operations Technician
• Radiological Safety Technician
• Environmental Engineer/Technician
• Engineering Plant Technical Advisor
• Plant Systems Technical Specialist
• Plant Decommissioning Technical Specialist
Qualifications gained
The following qualifications will be gained during the programme:
• Gen2 Certificate at Level 3 in Engineering & Science
• Foundation Degree in Plant Engineering
In order to gain the foundation degree candidates will be required to successfully study 240 credits
in a variety of modules in Engineering & Science. The Foundation Degree studies will be in Plant
Engineering within one of two pathways; either Nuclear Technology or Engineering Systems. The
modules to be studied and the structure of each pathway is given below:
Plant Engineering (Engineering Systems) Pathway
Year 1
Semester 1
Semester 1
Semester 2
PLEN4001 Maths for Plant Engineering &
Technology I - Compulsory
(10 credits)
PLEN4006 Plant Based Learning 4
Core
(10 credits)
PLEN4003 Fundamentals of Mechanical
Science - Compulsory
(20 credits)
PLEN4005 Process Measurement & Nucleonic
Systems - Compulsory
(20 credits)
PLEN4004 Electrical & Electronic Principles - Compulsory
(20 credits)
Year 2
Semester 1
Semester 2
PLEN4008 Plant & Process Principles or
PLEN4009 Electronic Instrumentation &
Sequence Control
(20 credits) Option
PLEN5004 Thermo-fluids & Heat Transfer or
PLEN5005 Applications of Electrical
Technology to Engineering Plant Systems
or PLEN5015 Computer Control
(20 credits) Option
PLEN4007 Plant Based Project Management
Core
(10 credits)
PLEN5007 Mechanics, Materials & Stress
Analysis or
PLEN5008 Plant & Process Control
(20 credits) Option
PLEN4002 Maths for Plant Engineering &
Technology II Compulsory
(10 credits)
Semester 2
PLEN4001 Maths for Plant Engineering &
Technology I - Compulsory
(10 credits)
PLEN4006 Plant Based Learning 4
Core
(10 credits)
PLEN4003 Fundamentals of Mechanical
Science - Compulsory
(20 credits)
PLEN4005 Process Measurement & Nucleonic
Systems - Compulsory
(20 credits)
PLEN4004 Electrical & Electronic Principles - Compulsory
(20 credits)
Year 2
Semester 1
Semester 2
PLEN4002 Maths for Plant Engineering &
Technology II - Compulsory
(10 credits)
PLEN5007 Mechanics, Materials & Stress
Analysis or PLEN5008 Plant & Process Control
(20 credits) - Option
PLEN4007 Plant Based Project Management
Core
(10 credits)
PLEN5004 Thermo-fluids & Heat Transfer
or
PLEN5005 Applications of Electrical
Technology to Engineering Plant Systems
(20 credits)
Option
PLEN4008 Plant & Process Principles
(20 credits)
Option
Year 3
Semester 1
Year 3
Semester 1
Semester 2
PLEN5001 Plant Based Project
Core
(20 credits)
PLEN5006 Engineering Design
(20 credits) Option
Plant Engineering (Nuclear Technology) Pathway
Year 1
PLEN5020 Applications of Pneumatics &
Hydraulics or
PLEN5003 Conditioning Monitoring & SQA /
PLEN5002 Further Maths for Plant Technology
& Modelling
(20 credits) Option
PLEN5012 Computer Aided Design & Drawing or PLEN5014 Smart Instruments & Networks
(20 credits) Option
Semester 2
PLEN5001 Plant Based Project
Core
(20 credits)
PLEN5011 Nuclear Principles & Plant
or
PLEN5006 Engineering Design
(20 credits)
Option
PLEN5003 Condition Monitoring & SQA
(10 credits)
PLEN5002 Further Maths for Plant Technology
& Modelling
(10 credits)
Option
PLEN 5012 Plant Commissioning or
PLEN 5013 Plant Decommissioning & Decontamination Techniques & Procedures
or PLEN5009 Applications of Materials to a Nuclear Plant
or PLEN5010 Nuclear Reactor Technology
(20 credits) Option
About Gen2
Gen2 is a joint venture training company established in June 2000 by five of West Cumbria’s
major employers – Sellafield Ltd, TATA, Amec, Iggesund Paperboard and Innovia Films.
The company was predominately formed as an apprentice engineering and technology
training provider to deliver high quality apprentice training to both the partners and to the
wider community. Since its formation Gen2 has developed a wide range of training services
as well as maintaining its apprenticeship core business.
The company employs over 120 members of staff, most of whom are fully qualified trainers
capable of offering their expertise to the Cumbrian workforce. As well as catering for the
training needs of its existing partners, part of the company’s current strategy is to share its
facilities and resources with other Cumbrian companies.
Gen2 has six engineering based training centres located at Workington, Carlisle and
Ulverston. Our Department of Engineering and Energy Technology which delivers Level 4-7
Higher Education is based in the Energus Facility at Lillyhall.
Further information
If you have any queries regarding the Technical Specialist Trainee Scheme please contact one
of the HR Team on: 01900 701300 or email Debbie Blair - debbie.blair@gen2.ac.uk
Case study
Hi my name is Megan and I’m in my 3rd
year on the TSTS course.
I didn’t really want to move away from
home or go to uni but I did want to gain
some kind of qualification.
This course seemed to offer the best of
both worlds - I got to work and gain a
qualification at the same time.
To begin with the course is quite intense, but
the bridging course is really good and gives
you a good basis to work from. The tutors
on the course are really supportive and help
you through the challenging times.
For me the best bit was getting on to site
and getting paid whilst studying!
Once I’ve finished this, I’m going to top it up
to gain a full degree and hopefully go on to
my Masters.
I would definitely recommend this course to
anyone!
Working in Partnership
Gen2 Warwick Mill
Gen2 Carlisle
Gen2 Rockliffe
Brampton
Carlisle
Silloth
Wigton
Alston
Aspatria
Maryport
Cockermouth
Penrith
Gen2/Energus
Keswick
Workington
Gen2 Lillyhall
Appleby
Gen2 Salterbeck
Whitehaven
Brough
Egremont
Kirkby Stephen
Ambleside
Gen2 Sellafield
Seascale
Windermere
Kendal
Millom
Ulverston
Grangeover-Sands
Kirkby Lonsdale
Gen2 Furness
Barrow-in
-Furness
Gen2 Lillyhall Skills Centre
Gen2 Carlisle Skills Centre
Gen2 Sellafield Skills Centre
Unit 1, Joseph Noble Road
Lillyhall Industrial Estate
Workington, Cumbria CA14 4JX.
Kingmoor Park, Unit F2
Kingmoor South
Carlisle, Cumbria CA6 4RD.
Building B111, Sellafield
Cumbria CA20 1PG.
01900 701 300
01228 599 890
Gen2 Energus Training Facility
Gen2 Carlisle Education Centre
Energus, Blackwood Road
Lillyhall, Workington
Cumbria CA14 4JW.
Westmoor, Rockcliffe
Carlisle, Cumbria CA6 4BH.
01946 786 616
Gen2 Furness Skills Centre
Lightburn Trading Estate
Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7NE.
01229 483 760
01228 599 890
01900 605 665
Gen2 Warwick Mill
Gen2 Salterbeck Skills Centre
Unit 3a Salterbeck Industrial Estate
Warwick Mill, Warwick Bridge
Carlisle, Cumbria CA4 8RR.
Moorclose Road, Workington
01228 564 478
Cumbria CA14 5DS.
01900 607 599
Gen2 Head Office Unit 1, Joseph Noble Road, Lillyhall Industrial Estate, Workington, Cumbria CA14 4JX
01900 701 300
www.gen2.ac.uk
recruitment@gen2.ac.uk
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