Meet our NIWB committee secretary Lauren Bennett. She enjoys being part of the committee and is very positive about NI future prospects.
Q1. What organisation do you work for and what are your responsibilities?
I am a Safety Engineer in the Nuclear New Build team at Atkins, currently seconded to Hinkley Point C Site Controls team, which is a great place to work for anyone interested by large scale construction and nuclear new build and its right here in South West England! I graduated as a Nuclear Physicist in 2013 and have so far worked on the Horizon Nuclear Power UK ABWR project and now EDFs Hinkley Point C project. At HPC site we are getting ready for the big kick off. So keep watching the news!
Q2. How long you have been an NIWB committee member and what are your responsibilities on the committee?
I have been an NI WB member since leaving university and working in the South West – almost 3 years. Last September I took on a more active role in the branch by taking over from Anna as the Western Branch Secretary. Anna is now Chair!
Q3. Why did you join NIWB committee?
I joined the NIWB committee to get more involved in the events happening in the South West and to meet other people involved in the nuclear industry.
Q4. What have you achieved so far or what do you expect to achieve by being a committee member?
Understanding what work goes on in the committee and what is available to members. I want to share this with colleagues and spread the word of the good work and opportunities in the NIWB, particularly the routes to getting chartered and nuclear professionalism for young entrants to the nuclear industry in the South West.
Q5. What for you has been the best thing that has happened at NIWB?
The best thing about the NI WB is the collaboration when hosting events and friendliness of the committee members. After evening lectures people stay around and we have many enquiries about the NI and membership which Stuart Jelliss and Mike Latham are always happy to discuss.
Q6. Can you say something about the committee or NIWB? Why do you like it?
Although some committee members do change year on year there is always support from your predecessor, people don’t leave the committee because they don’t want to help anymore, sometimes our day jobs don’t allow us to commit as much time as before – there’s always very busy people in the nuclear industry.
Q7. What are the future prospective for NI?
The NI and specifically with NIWB have amazing prospects for the future, we are seeing numbers grow which is helped by our successful events ran throughout the year. Over the next few years we expect the WB has a lot of growing to do but this won’t happen without a strong committee and help from every member!