Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland

It was my privilege last week to meet so many talented and enthusiastic young people from Copeland who visited Westminster for the first Nuclear Week in Parliament. The Nuclear Skills and Apprenticeship Fair was one of the highlights of the week in which apprentices and graduates – including a very sizeable contingent from Copeland – showcased the range of careers and opportunities available in the industry.

There was a real buzz in the room as our area’s nuclear expertise and talent – from science and technology to innovation and manufacturing – took pride of place courtesy of the nuclear firms, supply chain and unions in attendance.

It was also a pleasure at the event to meet Katie Wightman – a Control Room Operator at Sellafield Ltd – who has been named the National Skills Academy for Nuclear’s Apprentice of the Year.

Katie, who delivered an inspirational keynote speech, is an outstanding advocate for apprenticeships, Sellafield Ltd and the industry and I have every confidence that her career and positive influence among the next generation of apprentices will continue to go from strength to strength. Further to showcasing exciting opportunities and innovations, Nuclear Week in Parliament was about reminding everyone that we need nuclear ¬– the most sustainable and efficient clean-energy we have to achieve our net-zero ambitions.

I’d like to finish by thanking everyone who has wished me well on my appointment as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport. I am proud to accept the ministerial position, which is testemant to all those who had given me such famtanstic support, and I look forward to this next chapter