Sizewell C surpasses 500 jobs target for Ipswich as MP praises impact on town

• 582 new jobs created for people from Ipswich at Sizewell C
• Project has spent nearly £100m with businesses in the Ipswich area, covering law firms and construction to coffee and catering companies
• Sizewell C is investing in a range of outreach, education, skills, and employability programmes and partnerships, from Ipswich Town Foundation to University of Suffolk
• Jack Abbott MP: “This is what delivering for local people looks like”

Nearly 600 people from Ipswich are now employed on the Sizewell C project on the Suffolk coast – surpassing a jobs target agreed with Ipswich MP Jack Abbott.

Launched during Sizewell C’s first year of official construction in 2024, the Ipswich Jobs Guarantee has been backed by a range of initiatives across the town, from two dedicated annual jobs fairs to partnerships with education providers and charities.

The results have been significant, with hundreds of people from across the town connecting with the huge range of jobs and career development opportunities available on the project.

Ipswich businesses have also benefitted, with nearly £100m spent with suppliers in the Ipswich area so far, covering services such as law, construction, catering, aggregates, and building supplies: Ipswich law firm Birketts, family construction firm Barnes Construction, Combat2Coffee, Tru 7 Group, and Brett Aggregates are among the local businesses already benefiting from work on the Sizewell C project.

Jack Abbott MP, Member of Parliament for Ipswich, said: “In 2024, I secured an agreement with Sizewell C to guarantee 500 jobs for Ipswich residents and create new opportunities for people across our town. Today, I am delighted that Sizewell C have not only reached that target, but smashed it, all in just two years.

“I am particularly proud that this success has been supported by sustained investment in Ipswich, through stronger partnerships with our colleges and University, investment in our businesses, and through dedicated outreach designed to ensure that people right across our town can access the thousands of opportunities on offer at Sizewell C.

“This is what delivering for local people looks like – and it doesn’t stop here. I’ll continue to work with Sizewell C to ensure it remains a project for Ipswich and Suffolk throughout construction, helping even more people benefit from the investment and growth being delivered for our town.

“I’ve always said that Sizewell C is as much about people as it is about power, and today’s announcement proves it.”

Right across the town, Sizewell C is investing in a range of outreach, education, skills, and employability programmes and partnerships that help local people access opportunities and develop their careers.

Investing in education and literacy, employability and outreach

• It has partnerships and MOUs in place with the University of Suffolk, with Suffolk New College, which includes the development of the Suffolk Rural Campus Driver and Driving Academy at Otley, and headline sponsorship of the College’s FutureSkils Fair, which connects over 3,000 local young people with opportunities in the region; and the project will soon be announcing a new partnership that will ensure development opportunities are available to local Ipswich primary schools too.
• Through support for the Ipswich Book Festival and Born & Read in Suffolk, Sizewell C is also investing in literacy and the arts in the town.

Strong social partners

The project has a number of social partners in place to develop support for young people and those hard to reach, including:

• Inspire: Building on its longstanding partnership with Ipswich charity Inspire, Sizewell C announced a new two-year agreement last month that will support young people across Suffolk to build confidence, develop skills, and gain first-hand insight into industry, helping them move closer to sustainable employment.
• Beyond Boundaries: A new cohort from the Beyond Boundaries programme also started last month: delivered by Sizewell C’s social partner Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE), whose head office is in the town, the programme supports 15 to 21-year-olds build the skills, confidence, and connections needed to access sustainable, well-paid careers.
• Ipswich Town Foundation: Sizewell C was also announced as Ipswich Town Foundation’s official charity partner this year, creating new outreach and education opportunities in both Ipswich and Leiston.

Volunteering and fundraising

The project has also invested in fundraising and volunteering to ensure that Ipswich charities benefit, including:

• St Elizabeth Hospice: Sizewell C’s first official two-year charity partnership – with St Elizabeth Hospice – raised £88,657 for the independent Ipswich charity.
• Community Action Suffolk: Sizewell C has partnered with Community Action Suffolk on a volunteering platform, enabling Sizewell C staff to volunteer at Ipswich charities such as Outreach Youth and Gensis Orwell Mencap.

Nigel Cann, CEO of Sizewell C, said: “Sizewell C is a project for Suffolk as well as for Britain – and our investment in Ipswich is testament to the huge value we can deliver for the towns in our region.

“Working closely with schools, colleges, and the University, with charities, businesses, and communities, we’re making sure that this is a project that works for people right across Ipswich.

“I want Sizewell C to make a real difference for generations of people in this town. We’ve made a great start, delivering life-changing opportunities for hundreds of people here, from apprenticeships and industrial placements to upskilling and adult retraining. And there’s much more to come – we’re committed to making sure we deliver for the future of Ipswich.”