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| Hinkley Point C: 1,000 Welsh workers at English nuclear plant | Hinkley Point C: 1,000 Welsh workers at English nuclear plant |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A quarter of the 4,000 construction workers at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset are from Wales, the BBC has been told. | A quarter of the 4,000 construction workers at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset are from Wales, the BBC has been told. |
| It comes after several large infrastructure projects in Wales were either cancelled or suspended. | It comes after several large infrastructure projects in Wales were either cancelled or suspended. |
| These include rail electrification from Cardiff to Swansea, Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant and the M4 relief road. | These include rail electrification from Cardiff to Swansea, Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant and the M4 relief road. |
| Hinkley Point C also took on 21 apprentices from Wylfa Newydd. | |
| One of them Jessica Williams, who is in the second year of her apprenticeship, will move about 280 miles south to Somerset this summer to complete her qualification. | One of them Jessica Williams, who is in the second year of her apprenticeship, will move about 280 miles south to Somerset this summer to complete her qualification. |
| When Wylfa Newydd, on Anglesey, was suspended earlier this year, the French company behind Hinkley Point C, EDF, came looking for future workers. | |
| "The transition was a bit of a shock to be honest… I would have liked to stay on Anglesey but it's a good opportunity so I can't give it a miss," Miss Williams said. | "The transition was a bit of a shock to be honest… I would have liked to stay on Anglesey but it's a good opportunity so I can't give it a miss," Miss Williams said. |
| "It's a bit disheartening to be honest, but you've got to do what you've got to do." | "It's a bit disheartening to be honest, but you've got to do what you've got to do." |
| She said she was excited to see where her career and transferable skills take her, but hoped to return to Anglesey at some point. | She said she was excited to see where her career and transferable skills take her, but hoped to return to Anglesey at some point. |
| EDF has also looked to Wales for construction workers to build Hinkley Point C. | EDF has also looked to Wales for construction workers to build Hinkley Point C. |
| Most of the 1,000 Welsh construction workers travel there at the beginning of a week and stay in the specially-constructed "Hinkley campus", before returning home on a Friday. | Most of the 1,000 Welsh construction workers travel there at the beginning of a week and stay in the specially-constructed "Hinkley campus", before returning home on a Friday. |
| At one point there was concern there would be a construction skills shortage in Wales because of the number of large infrastructure projects in the pipeline, but they did not get off the ground. | At one point there was concern there would be a construction skills shortage in Wales because of the number of large infrastructure projects in the pipeline, but they did not get off the ground. |
| Robert Morris from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, is a carpenter with 30 years' experience. He started working in Somerset in February after working on a hospital in Cwmbran. | Robert Morris from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, is a carpenter with 30 years' experience. He started working in Somerset in February after working on a hospital in Cwmbran. |
| "In this game if you've got a year's work, you're laughing. I've got a lot more than that... It's nice to have certainty, especially in the construction industry." | "In this game if you've got a year's work, you're laughing. I've got a lot more than that... It's nice to have certainty, especially in the construction industry." |
| Anecdotally, it is well-paid work and EDF said the project had already spent £1.1bn in the region - there are also about 80 Welsh companies in the supply chain. | Anecdotally, it is well-paid work and EDF said the project had already spent £1.1bn in the region - there are also about 80 Welsh companies in the supply chain. |
| CBI Wales director Ian Price said it was great to see Welsh firms winning business across the UK. | CBI Wales director Ian Price said it was great to see Welsh firms winning business across the UK. |
| "However, the fact that many Welsh firms have to travel so far to find work is a reflection on the scarcity of made-in-Wales infrastructure projects," he added. | "However, the fact that many Welsh firms have to travel so far to find work is a reflection on the scarcity of made-in-Wales infrastructure projects," he added. |