Doctoral‑level training for fusion engineering::A UK case study to inform international workforce discussions

As fusion research programmes expand and pilot‑plant initiatives progress, there is a growing need to understand how to prepare engineers who can contribute across the lifecycle of fusion systems, from early‑stage design to long‑term operation and maintenance. The UK Fusion Industry Skills Council has highlighted that the sector is entering a phase where engineering capability must grow rapidly, as the industry moves from scientific proof‑of‑concept devices toward the delivery of large‑scale infrastructure. Their identification of workforce shortages and barriers to access informed the creation of the UKAEA FOSTER programme, which aims to widen and deepen the fusion talent pipeline. Within this context, the Fusion Engineering CDT, funded through FOSTER, represents an early attempt to shape a doctoral‑level training pathway focused specifically on fusion engineering. Rather than presenting a complete model, this contribution shares initial insights from the CDT’s development and invites discussion on how programmes like this might evolve. <br/><br/>FOSTER’s emphasis on broadening participation, strengthening academic‑industrial collaboration and increasing awareness of fusion careers has influenced the CDT’s emerging structure. The CDT uses a national virtual‑hub model linking the universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and Liverpool, with pathways for additional UK universities to join as associate partners through co‑funding. We are still learning how best to coordinate training across multiple institutions and disciplines while supporting students from diverse academic backgrounds. The hub’s proximity to the STEP site at West Burton may offer future opportunities for engagement with a developing fusion facility, and we aim to explore how this can be built into training as STEP progresses.<br/><br/>A central early activity for the first cohort is a design‑your‑own university‑level fusion or fusion‑adjacent device project. This exercise encourages systems thinking, prototyping, regulatory awareness and multi‑disciplinary collaboration. It complements a 12‑week core training programme, co‑delivered across the partner universities, covering breeder‑blanket technologies, high‑heat‑flux systems, tritium fuel‑cycle engineering, magnet engineering, advanced manufacturing, radiological safety and digital engineering, including NVIDIA Omniverse‑based digital twins. We continue to refine the balance between analytical, experimental and computational learning, and would welcome feedback from other programmes tackling similar challenges. <br/><br/>Engagement with industry is a key area of learning for the CDT. More than 30 industrial partners, including Tokamak Energy, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Kyoto Fusioneering, Oxford Sigma, Siemens Digital Industries, Nvidia and Microsoft, contribute to training and supervision. A blended model of UKAEA, university and industry contributions supports multi‑cohort training, and we are still exploring how best to align doctoral projects with real‑world engineering needs as partnerships develop.<br/><br/>By sharing these early experiences, including the design‑project framework, preliminary skills mapping and the challenges of coordinating a national hub‑and‑spoke model, we hope to contribute constructively to workshop discussions. Our intent is not to present a definitive model, but to offer a case study from which we can learn alongside other member states working to develop the future fusion workforce.