Sizewell C Supply Chain Part 3: Staffing & Contract

Everything you need to know about the Sizewell Supply Chain Part 3

Carrying on in our 3-part question and answer feature with Ashley Shorey-Mills, Supply Chain Engagement Director at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, we’re now turning our attention to the staffing implications and the details behind the contractual negotiations.

If you’ve not yet read [part 1of our Q&A], which discusses the tendering processes or [part 2], which is the details all bus and coach clients need to think about, where have you been?

Make sure you bookmark them so they are there to help keep you informed about what you need to do to be part of the Sizewell C supply chain.

We know that every single person working on the project will need to have a background check. Can you tell us anything more about that?

“Within the induction, every business needs to agree to a code of conduct. They have to agree to adhere to our standards and our safety protocols, because at the end of the day, someone could be driving directly onto a nuclear site.

We are implementing background checks on everyone, so individual drivers will also have to be checked as part of the induction process. What we want to say is that as a business, you need to be honest and transparent. If there are any questions about a specific person, you need to give the details about him or her and be open about it. We’re not worried if someone has a checkered history – in fact, we’re actively working within the prison system to implement training so that those in prison can be learning the exact skills that they need to secure employment with Sizewell upon their release.

But we have to have 100% trust in our supply chain, and that’s why it's so essential to be open and honest throughout the application.”

What sort of things are you looking for as part of the background checks? Is it ensuring the validity of driving licences, criminal convictions or anything in particular?

It will be a mixture of everything. There will be routine drug and alcohol testing in place, and the overall induction will cover everything that contractors need to think about.

We’ve got plenty of resources available on our website, along with recordings of webinars that we’ve held that will give all of the specific details of what might be needed.”

If we move on to the more commercial questions, what can you tell us about the contracts themselves? Once a supplier has been given the green light and approved as a supplier, how flexible is the workload? For small businesses, having that agility is essential.

“The whole process has to be as flexible as possible, because budget and deadlines have to be prioritised. We recognise that businesses will also fluctuate, so it’s about working flexibly with everyone across the supply chain.

What will happen is that a framework will be created of enough providers to also give that agility that Sizewell needs.

The key for us as a Chamber is to make sure that everyone involved is building sustainable growth off the back of Sizewell C. We can't have businesses overpromising on Sizewell, and equally, we don’t want anyone to be in trouble if services aren’t required.

Everything we’re doing is about growing slowly and sustainably. It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of paperwork for businesses to get ready for it. So, just doing it slowly and gradually and building up is the safest and best way to do it.”

What about payment schedules and retention performance? If smaller businesses are getting involved in Sizewell, they’ll need help and support to manage their cash flow. Is there anything you can tell us about that?

“Obviously, our push to Sizewell is that payment terms are critical. They are always looking at a 30-day payment period as a worst-case scenario. But what we've already seen is that discussions can take place on what needs to happen on payment terms.

In terms of the logistics sector specifically, a lot of the payment deadlines will be down to who's appointed the lead logistics provider. So ultimately, whoever the LLP is, they will have that direct relationship with Sizewell for their payment.

Then underneath that, the Tier 2 or Tier 3 contractors will be working directly under that lead logistics provider, not directly with Sizewell. So it's going to be a discussion process, but we are there to support local businesses if there are any issues.”

Once a business has its workflow in place, it needs to organise staffing. How can they make sure that the details of staffing numbers are being communicated? The last thing a business needs is to find themselves appointed a contractor, but unable to find the right staff.

“The Sizewell C project has its dedicated Employment Affairs unit, which has mapped out what is needed and when it's needed. Generally speaking, the peak of the workforce is going to be around 2030 on-site.

At this point, we estimate there will be about 8,000 people.

By the end of this year, there will be around 2,000 people on site, and we estimate that an extra 1,000 people every year until it reaches the peak, then tails off. 

While that is the peak of the work taking place on-site, it’s also worth noting that the impact in the region will be felt much bigger than that because you will have a lot of operations taking place in Ipswich. You'll have operations taking place in the likes of Lowestoft in Yarmouth because of the ports, as well as operations taking place in the Southwest, as well as Manchester and London.

When it comes to logistics, they already know they need a certain number of drivers by the end of 2026, and that they need another number of drivers by the end of 2028. But what the Tier 1 contractors had to do was put in place an inclusive and diverse employment skills plan, which outlines how many people they need and outlines exactly how they are going to get those people.”

There’s a huge issue in the transport sector of an ageing workforce and a skills shortage, particularly when it comes to HGV drivers. How is this being tackled as part of the project?

“Of course, this is a big concern, and the chosen LLP will have had to identify the routes that they will take to reach different groups. That might be through the schools, the prisons or the armed forces.

The lead logistics provider has had to look not just at what’s needed, but also at the churn rate throughout the duration of the project. So, for example, there’s a new HGV training school being built at Suffolk Rural College to ensure that there are more facilities for more training.

We’ve identified the need to work backwards through the school years – the jobs that will be there for school leavers in two years will be very different to the jobs needed for school leavers in five or six years, as the work will have changed. Therefore, the skills required will be different. 

From a driving perspective, it’s about establishing when CPC Hours need to be updated and when we can anticipate that the current cohort of HGV drivers might be planning their retirement.

What we need to do is encourage younger generations to consider logistics as a career because, in a few years, there will be ample opportunities available here on their doorstep. The more work that’s done now to make sure that younger generations are being taught the skills they will need, the better.”