AN APPRENTICE nuclear fusion technician has made it to the final three of a national competition.

Jake Payne began his four-year apprenticeship with the Culham Science Centre near Abingdon in 2012, working on a project to help develop nuclear fusion power.

But now the aspiring engineer is in the running for the Institution of Engineering & Technology’s (IET) 2015 Apprentice of the Year award.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Burford, said he has been interested in the subject since school and used to take apart electrical gadgets at home to discover how they worked.

Mr Payne added: “I became interested in engineering at school. I was always keen to figure out how things worked, and would prise apart electronics at home to understand how they operated.

“I found I had a knack for problem-solving and fixing devices when they broke. Now in my apprenticeship at Culham I get to work closely with engineers and scientists on exciting projects.

“Being part of a large team that is all concentrated on one goal teaches you the responsibility of hitting targets and gives you good management and teamwork skills.”

Mr Payne will find out if he has won at the IET’s ceremony in London on November 18.

He is on the advanced apprenticeship scheme run by the UK Atomic Energy Authority at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College.

The former Burford School pupil is also a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) ambassador, travelling around schools promoting apprenticeships. As part of the role he was chosen to give an interactive presentation about fusion power to 200 students at the Royal Institution in London.

Once he finishes his apprenticeship next year, Jake hopes to go on to university.