SCHOOLCHILDREN were energised when two engineering apprentices returned to their old school to show them how nuclear fusion could power Britain in the future.

Electronic engineering apprentices Jake Payne, 19, and Elliot Taylor, 21, spent two days showing more than 120 pupils at Burford School how fusion could provide a limitless, pollution-free source of energy, if the technological problems involving temperatures found at the centre of the sun can be overcome.

The two apprentices work for the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, near Abingdon, where groundbreaking European Union-backed research has been conducted into how to harness nuclear fusion.

As part of National Apprentice Week, they showed pupils cuttingedge technologies, including a 3D printer and virtual reality headsets used in their fusion work.

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Mr Payne said: “The technology involves putting hydrogen isotopes into a vacuum, then when they collide, the particles fuse producing a massive amount of energy.

“Hydrogen is never going to run out and doesn’t cause pollution.

“It’s a safe science.

“Our company is researching how we can make this science work on an industrial scale.”

The pair from Burford are in the third year of their apprenticeships with CCFE.

Both left Burford School in 2012, after completing their A-Levels.

CCFE will pay for them to go through university next year to get engineering degrees They talked to pupils about the benefits of doing an apprenticeship.

Mr Payne said: “Every day there are a lot of things to juggle and you have to manage your time, but every day is extremely interesting when you go to work.

“The students are top level Year Eight and Year Nine pupils so they already have very good attention spans.

“We’re trying to show them how they can translate what they are doing in school into the real world.

“We’re not saying the university route isn’t a good one, but we want them to know that apprenticeships are available. There wasn’t very much information about them when we were at school.

“We love it and we think it’s a really good way of doing things.”

Headteacher Kath Haig said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for them and a great firm to work for.

“Our pupils were absolutely bouncing about the 3D printers.

“It’s real space age technology.

“Year Nine pupils are doing their options at the moment so it was really good for them to find out more about apprenticeships.”

Mr Payne and Mr Taylor are also part of a team of CCFE apprentices competing against 80 other teams from across the UK for the Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2015.

The national competition pits teams against each other based on their leadership, team building and community skills.

For more information about apprenticeships, see gov.uk/furthereducation-skills/apprenticeships