The Government welcomes the opportunity to update Parliament on how we will grow our nuclear workforce and harness our existing strengths. The Government has already started to implement numerous strategies to incentivise recruitment across the country. The Nuclear Skills Plan (NSP), launched May 2024, is funded and resourced by government and industry to deliver a diverse and skilled workforce, with 24,000 new roles required across the civil nuclear and defence sector by 2030. The plan has made measurable progress in its first two years, with the UK nuclear workforce growing at pace, adding 12,000 people in 2024, as well as replacing those lost from the sector due to attrition and retirement. The Government’s response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025 [1] recognised the need for the NSP to accelerate efforts to meet our ambition of being a Nuclear Nation, which seeks to seeks to bring together our civil and defence nuclear capabilities to underpin the UK’s energy and national security. [1] Building Our Nuclear Nation: Government Response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025. The Government is equally seized of the opportunity to leverage AUKUS as a driver of workforce growth and is exploring how best to support and increase pathways into the wide range of AUKUS-relevant jobs across the country. Indeed, headcount at BAES, Barrow, has increased from c12,000 in 2024, to c.14,000 in 2026, whilst Rolls-Royce, Derby, have grown their workforce from c4,700 at the end of 2024 to c5,600 in 2026. The Government is clear that nuclear does need to attract from a more diverse geographical base, and this is one of several barriers to entry that the NSP is addressing. An unwavering commitment to Equality Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) from NSP signatories means that every intervention is assessed to maximise reach and participation. NSP signatories have recruited thousands of graduates and apprentices, awarded bursaries and sponsorships to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and, in March 2026, the government announced investment of £65.6 million for a Doctoral Focal Award to support more than 500 doctoral students over four cohorts. Furthermore, the NSP has established five regional Nuclear Skills Hubs to ensure the national plan meets local needs, launched specialist bootcamps, and introduced the Destination Nuclear attraction campaign and careers portal to attract new talent to the sector. The Government is clear that 2026 will see greater focus on supporting those currently unemployed to move into the nuclear sector and attracting those from adjacent sectors who can be quickly supported to become fully effective in the nuclear sector.