British Energy has halved the time required to complete some of its basic training programmes amid an acute shortage of experienced nuclear staff.

Documents seen by The Times show that some of the group’s programmes to train staff to “Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel” level (SQEP) – a benchmark industry training standard set by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate – have been trimmed from 18 to nine months.

British Energy, which yesterday unveiled plans to build a new generation of UK nuclear power stations, starting with the commissioning of impact studies on eight sites across the UK, has recently hired a company called KorteQ, to help it to combat its skills shortage problem.

Paul Adler, KorteQ’s head of operations. said that its programme would “halve and sometimes more than halve the length of time” required to train British Energy staff to SQEP level.

British Energy, which operates eight nuclear power stations, generating one sixth of Britain’s electricity, denied that this meant any lowering of standards. It said that it puts safety at the centre of everything it does. A spokeswoman said that the new training system was “more effective, as well as quicker”.

Nevertheless, the dramatic reduction in training times has raised concerns about safety standards at Britain’s largest electricity supplier. Jean McSorley, senior adviser to Greenpeace on nuclear issues, said: “The idea that you can just cut that in half is something you have to question. It has to have a bearing on safety.”

British Energy is facing a skills gap, with 40 per cent of its workforce set to retire within the next ten years. It is being forced to fast-track staff into managerial roles in order to maintain and run its fleet.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said it constantly monitored the standards of staff at all nuclear sites and that any doubts about their competence would lead swiftly to the loss of operating licenses and possibly prosecution.

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