Budding CRA Graduate Nominated for Prestigious Award
Graduate Risk Consultant Francesca Brandford-Adams has been shortlisted for Science Graduate of the Year by the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN). Nominated by her employers , Corporate Risk Associates (CRA) – Francesca has been invited to attend a panel interview for the opportunity to become the Science Graduate Winner to be announced at the highly anticipated UK Nuclear Skills Awards Ceremony.
The awards are to recognise exceptional graduates employed in the nuclear sector and to distinguish role models to inspire others to undertake a career in the industry.
And CRA’s CEO and founder, Jasbir Sidhu, firmly believes Francesca possesses all of the qualities to make her a worthy winner of Science Graduate of the Year, as he explains, “Francesca joined CRA as an intern knowing very little about the nuclear industry, however came to us with a clear desire to learn about the sector and apply her considerable analytic skills.
“In just three months as an intern, it was clear to see that Francesca has a natural gift for risk analysis, and as such we offered her a graduate position at the company, where she has become a very valued member of the team. Francesca is already working on highly esteemed projects such as assisting in producing calculations and models for risk analysis of fire and flood protection at the Hinkley Point C Reactor.
“At CRA we are firmly committed to playing our role in allaying the nuclear skills shortage through continual investment in recruitment and training of young graduates, and we firmly believe that Francesca is true testament to why graduates are such valuable assets. Her commitment to learning combined with her drive to continue to build a career in the nuclear industry makes Francesca an inspiration to others wishing to get into the nuclear industry.”
Graduating from the University of Warwick with a Masters in Chemistry with Professional Experience, Francesca’s interest in the nuclear industry stemmed from being fascinated by the new technology hitting the sector, and its potential to transform energy production and effectively reduce waste emissions.
Most recently Francesca submitted and presented a paper to the European Safety and Reliability (ESREL) Conference, presenting her findings to industry experts alongside one of CRA’s Senior Consultants. She has successfully completed a series of training courses which recently included the UK nuclear reactor operator’s AGR Plant Technology Course which has helped to further develop her knowledge.
Francesca is also a keen advocate of supporting students considering a STEM subject related career, assisting them on a voluntary basis through reviewing university applications and offering advice on which courses are most suitable for their needs.
Speaking about being shortlisted, Francesca said: “I am delighted to have been put forward for this award by CRA and I hope that I can play an integral role in encouraging others to develop a career within the nuclear industry.
“Through the support of both in-house and external training, I have greatly developed my skillset and confidence. I am extremely passionate about my work and developing my skillset further, and CRA has given me a huge platform to do so.”
CRA’s workforce now has one of the highest ratios of female to male Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates in the industry. Nearly 90% of the CRA team are STEM graduates, whose skills are absolutely essential to the development and success of the business.
Established in 2000, CRA now boasts a team of 35 professionals who are experts in providing risk analysis to safety-critical industries with offices across the UK.
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