Thirst for skills spurs action in water sector
26 Jul 2016
Senior water and environment industry figures have developed an action plan to address concerns over the ‘significant’ engineering skills shortage in their sector.
The move follows a recent survey conducted by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and engineering recruitment firm Matchtech, which highlighted myriad issues.
The findings indicated that 81% of employers were experiencing increased turnover, and 70% said that this had reduced their ability to finish projects.
Our research of water engineers showed there is a real concern for the UK’s ability to finish water engineering projects, based on the current skills level
Stuart Minchin, water and environment divisional manager at Matchtech
“Our research of water engineers showed there is a real concern for the UK’s ability to finish water engineering projects, based on the current skills level,” said Stuart Minchin, water and environment divisional manager at Matchtech.
While those surveyed suggested that skills from the energy, maritime and highways industries were transferrable to the water and environment sector, CIWEM chief executive Terry Fuller said the industry was “not explaining why water is great”.
A recent industry roundtable event was convened to discuss possible solutions with attendees including senior executives from CIWEM, Ofwat, Southern Water, Anglian Water, Atkins, Thames Tideway and Matchtech.
Matchtech said findings from the event were compiled to create the following list of key recommendations to address the shortage:
- Raise the profile of the water sector by communicating to engineers why a career in water is worth pursuing and to instil a sense of purpose and value for water engineering.
- Encourage water sector engineers to build multiple skill sets, making it easier for engineers to move around their companies to gain experience in a variety of areas.
- Redress the balance of technical engineers and project managers by reviewing the salary, benefits and perceived status of a technical career, compared with project management.
- Provide clearer career and development plans that account for aspirations and priorities at different stages of life.
- Influence government by highlighting ways it can help to address skills shortages by providing access to the best global talent to plug the gaps.
