Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd

Workforce

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) employs just over 800 people, with a similar number in the supply chain. The DSRL workforce has a wide range of skills, from project management and environmental science to health physics, safety case writing and technical skills in operations and maintenance.

Accelerated decommissioning means employment levels are expected to remain high for the next few years, though the balance of skills will change to match the changing needs of the closure programme. Employment is expected to decline in the later years of the programme to leave just a few tens of people required for care and maintenance beyond the interim end point.

DSRL is leading initiatives on-site to help its workforce adjust to the changing skills requirements of the programme and ultimately closure of the site:

Plan-it

A voluntary, self-help development programme delivered with Liverpool University, supported by trade unions and assisted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Plan-it encompasses different training courses depending on people’s needs, including career development, psychometric testing and counselling.
The programme focuses on the personal goals and ambitions of each worker and what they need to do to achieve them. Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks launched Plan-it during a visit to Dounreay on September 14, 2007.

Energy Minister launches Plan-it – press release

Watch the video of Malcolm Wicks launching Plan-it

Business spin-out

Services currently provided in-house by DSRL have the potential to prosper beyond site closure as stand-alone businesses.
Potential spin-outs identified so far include the environmental labs and training department. Work is ongoing with Training at Naver where an accommodation strategy and business plan for organic growth are being developed. The environmental labs project is on hold until the completion of competition, so that the new parent body organisation is involved in decisions about its future.
In addition, DSRL is involved with other site licence companies in the development of a market for "shared services" to improve efficiency across the NDA estate.

Make the Right Connections - skills transition programme

NDA and DSRL have worked with Caithness Chamber of Commerce to fund and develop a skills transition programme aimed at providing training opportunities to reposition skills and help people find employment in new and emerging growth areas such as marine renewables (wave, tidal power and offshore wind) as well as business services.

Make the Right Connections is a £2.3M programme which is managed by the Caithness Chamber of Commerce and will provide transitional training to:

Motivate and train members of the local workforce to develop positive responses to change and provide the capacity to recognise and grasp new opportunities.