Regular readers of our blogs will no doubt be aware of the worrying scale of specialist engineers looking to leave the water industry in the near future. In recent weeks, we’ve looked at some of the ways employers can retain these experts, however in order to meet upcoming demand, organisations will also need to attract new skills into the industry. But how can this be achieved?

According to our Water Industry Labour Report, up to 70% of the existing workforce are considering taking on roles in other, parallel, markets; namely oil and gas and nuclear. While pay is a factor, many are likely being tempted away because of the levels of scrutiny and focus placed on water in the media. This has meant many engineers have even reported feeling unsafe in their roles. On top of this, water specialists have been in significant demand because of their broad skill sets, and versatile attributes that lend themselves to careers in other fields also being impacted by talent shortages.

Retirement cliff

And if these challenges weren’t enough, up to one-fifth of the broader workforce are set to retire in the coming years, meaning that the issues of retention and recruitment are becoming even more important. This isn’t a new problem; but it’s definitely coming to a head, and employers will need to act.

All energy and STEM markets are battling skills shortages, so not only are organisations trying to attract new talent, but they are also competing with one another, particularly in early careers fields. That makes standing out from the crowd that bit more important. Wider perception is a major issue for water; the well-publicised sewage, pollution and funding issues hitting the headlines in recent months have only added to the problems. However, anyone working in the industry will know this isn’t a fair representation of a career in water. Professionals get the chance to work on some of the most pivotal and innovative projects in the UK, and more effort needs to be made to promote the breadth of opportunities available. In recent years, only the Thames Tideway Tunnel project has really captured the public imagination, and if water is to attract more early-stage engineers then it needs to promote itself more effectively. This isn’t a problem for organisations, but for the sector as a whole to tackle.

Building employer brands

At an individual employer level, more effort needs to be put into building strong employer brands. If the sector as a whole can uplift its wider perception, then companies should also consider how appealing they are to talent. Once the existing challenges have been navigated, the focus must be put into individual organisations’ approaches to areas like environmental conservation, and tackling climate change. In addition, rather than promoting themselves as singular, homogenous entities, many could benefit by showcasing individual employee stories that can humanise the industry and offer a glimpse into the types of experiences firms can offer.

Another solution is to look to other markets. The trend of engineers considering roles in the likes of oil and gas also isn’t new; in reality, the water sector has been pillaged for talent for years now, and employers need to consider adopting this approach to balance their workforces. According to our report, the main factors that attract engineers to roles are pay, job satisfaction and flexibility. While the first of these is challenging to impact in the current climate, employers can do more to provide more holistic benefits to their workers, and provide more hybrid working options and identify the individual motivators of the talent they are targeting. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to workforce management will only encourage more people to leave, instead organisations need to consider the benefits of tailoring and personalising their offers to candidates, particularly those in other markets who may be growing frustrated in their current roles. After all, water isn’t the only industry facing challenges at the moment. Looking for professionals from other markets is also important considering the digital transformation that is approaching in AMP8 and beyond; the industry’s ability to attract tech skills will be crucial for leveraging the potential of these technologies.

Attracting new skills to the water industry

There are numerous other ways that employers can make themselves more attractive to the wider engineering workforce, many of which we will cover in the coming months in these blogs. However, it’s one thing talking about tackling shortages, it’s another acting and looking for real measures that can help to halt the worsening skills crisis that, if not tackled, could have serious ramifications.

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