A national education initiative is being rolled out to help develop the skilled workforce required for the UK’s first commercial fusion power plant. The University of Sheffield has introduced a primary schools programme designed to raise awareness of the science and engineering behind fusion energy and support teachers in delivering related classroom activities.
The project, known as STEP Forward, has been created by the university’s Maker Futures team. It forms part of broader plans linked to the Government’s £2.5 billion investment in fusion energy and the Clean Energy Sector Plan within the 2025 Industrial Strategy. The initiative aligns with the development of the STEP Fusion plant at West Burton in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire.
Dr Alison Buxton, STEP Forward project lead and Senior Innovation Fellow at the University of Sheffield, said: “We are bringing together engineers at the cutting edge of sustainable energy production, with children and young people across the region to educate, enthuse and inspire the future generations that will power our nation. Following the launch, the programme toolkit will be made available to all schools in the UK in the new year, helping to build a long-term skills pipeline to provide opportunities for our young people for the careers of the future. By engaging children and young people today, the project aims to cultivate the workforce of tomorrow, full of creative thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers who can play a key role in the UK’s clean energy transition.”
The fusion facility is expected to generate around 8,500 highly skilled roles across engineering, science, technology and project management as it moves towards planned operation in 2040. STEP Forward seeks to introduce these future career pathways early, contributing to long-term workforce development for the sector.
Twenty-one primary schools in the Bassetlaw region are taking part in the initial trial. Activities have already been tested with pupils from two Worksop schools during an interactive session at the Bridge Skills Hub, where children explored simple fusion concepts through design tasks, coding and animation.
The initiative will be available to primary schools nationwide from February 2026. Support comes from Bassetlaw District Council, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, UK Industrial Fusion Solutions and funding through the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Ingenious Scheme.
