UK NUCLEAR SKILLS AWARDS - National Skills Academy for ...

Nuclear
Bursary Student of the Year
Outstanding
Leadership in Skills
Paul Hughes
Pat Kieran
In addition to working full time in
the nuclear decommissioning sector,
Paul has been studying two Master
of Science (MSc) degrees for the
last 14 months. His employer says
that he is a great ambassador for
undertaking study and translating it
into the work place, his enthusiasm
and willingness to look further, wider,
deeper should be championed,
coupled with him being an excellent role model and
ambassador for the nuclear industry as a whole.
Paul has been a great advocate for the Bursary Award
scheme and has actively promoted the scheme through
supporting the Skills Academy’s questionnaires, by word
of mouth, social networking sites and by recognition of
the bursary’s help in assignments. Indeed, one of Paul’s
discussions on Social Networking Site Linkedin led to the
Technical Director of an environmental consulting company
taking an interest in systems approaches and then signing
up to the module Paul is studying.
Paul says that the bursary has been critical to his studies
– “without it I would not have been able to undertake the
course I have chosen to do. In addition to the much
appreciated financial aid, the emotional support of having
the backing of the Skills Academy gives me confidence in
not only my own abilities and ambitions, but also the
content of my studies also.”
I've been in Caithness since the mid
1970s. I came to Dounreay, from
Liverpool, my home town, as an
Electrical Engineering student in
1976, went home, finished my
degree and came back in 1978 to
stay. I came for the job and the surf,
which now ranks alongside Sunset
Beach but back then I had it to
myself a lot of the time.
In 1980, Annie and I were married, we've had four great
kids and in my spare time I sing in a Gaelic Choir and run
the local branch of the British Science Association. This
latter role complements my Science Engagement
activities, which started in 1990 with a Young Engineers'
Club at Thurso College, where I lectured for 20 years.
I returned to Dounreay in 2002 and DSRL have been
forward-thinking enough to indulge me and allow me to
help build up a network of around 120 registered STEM
ambassadors in the local area from DSRL and other local
Science and Engineering firms.
I was awarded an MBE for Services to Science in the
2010 New Years' Honours as a result of this work over the
years and I am extremely grateful for this latest award,
coming as it does from a panel of my peers in the nuclear
industry. It means a lot to me.
Sponsored by: YGN
Sponsored by: EDF Energy - Existing Nuclear
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