Published on: March 11, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Amanda Richardson, Organisational Effectiveness Partner at Yorkshire Water, has been appointed Chair of the new Water Industry Steering Group, bringing a wealth of experience to the role at a critical time for the water industry. This initiative is a collaboration between Energy & Utility Skills and leaders from the water, sewerage, and supply chain sectors.
The group’s mission is to address current and future skills and competence needs across the water industry, ensuring it meets regulatory requirements and tackles challenges posed by climate change and population growth. Key priorities include developing occupational mapping for critical roles, identifying skills gaps, and exploring funding opportunities. The group also aims to increase workforce flexibility, enabling contract workers to serve other industries through initiatives such as skills passports and smarter collaboration.
As Chair, Amanda Richardson said, “We will identify partners to collaborate with to meet specific priorities, such as influencing skills and education policies. Together we will further develop equity, diversity and inclusion and sector attraction strategies to ensure the effective resourcing of current and future workforce requirements is achievable. Our focus is on delivering services efficiently to keep water bills affordable for customers whilst maintaining and upgrading infrastructure.”
The UK water industry faces a range of workforce and skills challenges. An ageing workforce in some of the most critical job roles means there is likely to be a knowledge and skills vacuum in the future as older workers retire. Meanwhile, growing competition for talent from across the infrastructure sector will aggravate existing skills gaps and shortages. The STEM skills gap is well documented, and Energy & Utility Skills research has found that roles within Science, Research, Engineering, and Technology occupations are likely to see the most significant increase by 2030, at 53% over current numbers.
Additionally, a shortage of water industry-specific technical, standards, governance and finance-related skills, alongside gaps in data and digital expertise, threatens to hinder the industry’s progress towards a lower-carbon future.
The Water Industry Steering Group aims to ensure resilience and long-term sustainability by supporting the development of necessary skills and competence across the industry.