FOSTER for Industry

FOSTER (Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research) brings together companies and organisations across the fusion industry. Together, we use our connections to create opportunities, improve efficiency and shape the sector’s future.

With over 4,000 companies now in the supply chain, opportunities are available to enhance skills transfer in and out of the sector. But high competition for skills, both within the fusion sector and from larger and more established adjacent industries, can limit the ability to secure skilled individuals.

Building an environment where organisations work together – while still protecting their commercial interests and intellectual property – helps the whole sector grow. This provides the new ideas needed to bring fusion energy to the grid.

Industrial visiting academic scheme

Visibility of industry professionals in university settings can be a powerful tool for strengthening existing pathways, or the development of new pathways into employment and aligning degree programme strategies to industry need.

This project will set up a new scheme to support visiting lectureships and professorships from professionals in industry, following the model similar to the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professorships scheme. Each award will last for 3 years and will provide subsistence payments (£10,000 to £15,000 per annum) to support staff in the fusion industry to take up short (c.3 week) positions in universities via a yearly competitive process.

Internships

FOSTER is continuing the highly successful internships programme established by the Fusion Industry Programme. It enables undergraduates to actively contribute to industry and academic projects in fields they are eager to explore as future career paths. To improve access to these opportunities and support those from under-represented groups, FOSTER provides subsistence payments to interns who are successful with their application, which also reduces a company’s financial commitment. There are also widening participation bursaries available.

Hear what our 2025 interns said about their experience.

Helping engineers return to work

UKAEA has partnered with STEM Returners on a new programme to help engineers return to work following a career break.

The 12-week placement programme will be based at UKAEA’s Culham Campus, and includes roles in the robotics division and with UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS), the delivery body for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant.

STEM Returners will source the candidates for the programme and provide career coaching and mentoring throughout the paid placement. For the right candidates, there will be an offer of a permanent role at the end of the placement.

Visit www.stemreturners.com/placements/ to view STEM Returners’ opportunities.

Fusion Engineering Academy

The Fusion Engineering Academy provides professional development training for anyone interested in the multidisciplinary field of fusion energy who holds a STEM degree.  It is open for people to attend from the UK and from overseas.  It enables people to advance their expertise and deepen their understanding of fusion engineering through a fully immersive experience, a combination of lectures and practical sessions.  The Fusion Engineering Academy aims to equip participants with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience across key areas of fusion technology and operations. 

The Fusion Engineering Academy will be at Culham Campus, Oxford as two blocked weeks: 

• Week 1: 9 to 12 February 2026
• Week 2: 2 to 5 March 2026  

The cost of attending is £1600+VAT and includes lunches and one evening meal.

Training opportunities

UKAEA has a rolling programme of courses and training suitable for professionals from across the fusion energy sector, such as the new Fusion Engineering Academy  and the Tritium Training Course which has proved to be a success in providing world-class development.

Fusion sector secondment scheme

UKAEA is scoping a scheme that can help industry partners second skilled workforce to each other more flexibly to cope with the peaks and troughs of skills demands and encourage the development of staff in different working environments. Industry representatives are welcome to suggest ideas on how we can achieve this along with any risks or opportunities.

Collaboration between industry and academia

FOSTER has a number of projects for industry and academia to collaborate, such as MSc Project Opportunities, and the Industry PhD Support Scheme.

Fusion sector shared continuous professional development scheme

FOSTER is looking for industry partners interested in creating fusion-specific training modules for groups of cross-industry attendees. We are currently identifying the key topic areas and delivery partners.

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