The demand for water and wastewater services in the UK continues to swell as the industry grapples with a serious skills shortage. Tackling this issue requires a comprehensive approach, from embracing technology and diversity to fortifying training programmes, to fostering stronger collaborations between academia and industry.

But amid these challenges is a realm of opportunity. With UK water companies recently announcing plans to invest the largest amount of money into the industry on record, attracting professionals to industrial water jobs could be that little bit easier.

Let’s look at what the investment entails, alongside the current talent challenges and where job opportunities lie for graduate engineers and apprentices in the UK water industry.

Exciting Water Industry Jobs on The Horizon

Last year, the largest water companies in the UK set forth a record-breaking proposal – to invest £96 billion into water and sewage infrastructure between 2025 and 2030. It will create more than 30,000 new jobs in water treatment and 4,000 new apprenticeships – a 50% boost to the current workforce.

The plans include building ten new reservoirs to secure water supplies, as well as cutting leakage by over a quarter by 2030. This includes an £11 billion investment to upgrade sewage infrastructure to reduce overflow spills, create ‘smart sewers’ using technology to intelligently control flows, as well as new nature-based schemes to manage rainwater. It’s touted as the most ambitious modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era.

Challenges Across the Industry and How to Address Them

Unfortunately, the UK water sector has faced many years of underinvestment and mismanagement. These factors led to insufficient maintenance and inefficient resource allocation, exacerbating the decline of ageing water infrastructure and decreasing its overall performance.

It appears the record levels of investment announced will go a long way towards addressing these challenges. But there is another challenge taking precedence, as water infrastructure is facing the same issue as the water workforce – it’s ageing.

According to the Water Industry Journal, more than 20% of those in water industry jobs will retire in the next decade. That’s a large accumulation of knowledge due to leaving the sector.

In stark contrast, just 8% of the UK water sector workforce is aged under 24. Addressing these dual challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, and here are a few suggestions to help you tackle this pressing issue.

Go Digital

The UK water industry is increasingly adopting digital technologies to improve efficiency, sustainability, as well as supply and infrastructure resilience. Tech such as data analytics, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI) and remote monitoring are transforming how water and wastewater systems are managed and maintained.

For instance, Anglian Water became the UK’s first water organisation to implement digital twin technology. The tech is pre-emptive – it creates a digital representation of the region’s water treatment and distribution infrastructure to pinpoint where leaks are likely to happen before they actually do.

Another example is the Dutch water authority Vallei en Veluwe, which manages 16 wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands. They use AI within their wastewater transport and treatment control systems to predict critical changes in flow and automate the appropriate response, saving their engineers hours of time. They also use machine learning to automate key controls, like pump and valve adjustment, to optimise nutrient removal and reduce energy and chemical use without direct worker involvement.

With the increasing integration of technologies, Engineers who possess digital skills (or those who are interested in developing them) are highly in demand.

Many water engineering jobs of the future will include AI, data science and software engineering skillsets.

Go Diverse

An Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership report found women make up only 29.1% of the UK water industry workforce, compared to 47.3% of women across all sectors. There’s clearly room for improvement to bring the sector in line with the nation’s average.

There is a host of strategies you can use to attract more women into your workforce, particularly in to technical roles. It begins with ensuring your recruitment policies and materials are inclusive, paying particular attention to your job advertisements to remove any real or perceived barriers to employment. This is a task a specialist water and wastewater recruitment partner can assist with, like us here at Alexander Associates.

Other ways to attract female water talent are to have flexible working policies, enhanced leave entitlements (for instance, maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental and elder care), as well as train and promote from within. Some water companies also have specific employee leadership training programmes for this purpose.

Go Young

With so many skilled water professionals retiring, it’s important to look to the younger generation to replace them. According to the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership report, just 9.2% of those currently working in water industry jobs are aged 16-24.

A key way to boost this figure is to take on apprentices. While you can reach out to new potential talent, it’s also worth looking within. You may have existing younger employees who are interested in up-skilling, perhaps from a general labourer role to becoming a certified water treatment plant operator.

Keep an eye out for opportunities to involve your older workforce in these schemes. Their transfer of knowledge built from years in the industry is invaluable to not only your younger employees but your business overall.

There are a number of additional avenues for connecting with younger possible hires, from exhibiting at careers fairs to talks about your work in water at schools. These can be virtual, blended or face-to-face.

Go Broad

As water skills are in scarce supply, expanding your hiring parameters can be extremely beneficial. Instead of only looking for those with water experience, you can include candidates with a solid foundation of core engineering and/or project manager competencies.

Engineering Jobs with Transferable Skills for the Water Industry

Examples of engineering disciplines with transferable skills include Environmental Engineers, who can transfer their experience from the energy or waste management sector directly to water. Industrial Engineers can use their knowledge of optimising complex systems and processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water treatment and distribution systems.

Mining Engineers have key insights into extracting and managing natural resources that apply to water resource management. Agricultural Engineers are somewhat similar, with a foundation in irrigation systems design and water conservation practices. And ex-Military Engineers with water infrastructure experience also have highly transferable skills that can be invaluable in a range of projects.

Find Support for Hiring Engineers or Applying for Industrial Water Jobs

Addressing the UK’s water skills shortage requires proactivity. This includes investment in training, fostering collaboration and being open to widening your hiring talent pool.

Alexander Associates can help you source the candidates needed to drive success in your business, from curating the right recruitment materials all the way through to offer negotiations. If you’re an engineer with transferable skills for the water industry and looking for a career change, we can help you with that, too. Please contact one of our specialists today.