CIWEM report highlights major opportunity as UK water sector seeks more than 43,000 new recruits to deliver £100bn investment

Phil Black - PII Editor 16/12/2025

78 4 minutes read

Listen to this article

Your Future emphasizes the critical need for skill-building and capacity enhancement to improve water and flood infrastructure. CIWEM has issued an urgent call to action, outlining a seven-point skills plan.

London, UK – Today, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has unveiled a new report titled Your Future, which advocates for a fresh strategy to tackle the pressing skills gap in the UK water sector. Many members feel that the current workforce's capacity and skills could seriously impede the government's goals. The report calls for a coordinated effort to better grasp the challenges ahead and to seize professional development opportunities, both as a group and individually.

The report draws insights from interviews with professionals across various sectors, including water companies, local authorities, engineering firms, consultancies, and public bodies like the Environment Agency. It also shares findings from CIWEM’s Member Career Survey 2025, which reflects the views of its growing membership of over 11,500 professionals.

According to the latest data from Energy & Utilities Skills, the report underscores the urgent need for an additional 43,700 workers in the water sector by 2030. This marks a 36% increase necessary to replace retirees and to support the expanded investment program outlined in AMP8.

With government and industry pledging to invest more than £100 billion in water infrastructure and flood defenses over the next five years in England and Wales, there will be a substantial effort required to attract, develop, and retain talent. CIWEM believes this challenge also opens up a significant opportunity for the sector and its members, many of whom remain hopeful, bolstered by the institution’s strong commitment to ongoing professional development.

Despite the growing worries about the industry's capacity to deliver, a significant 69% of CIWEM members believe there's “a lack of capacity to do all the work the industry has committed to.” Interestingly, only 3% are thinking about leaving their jobs, and this number rises to 6% among students and apprentices.

CIWEM President John Curtin, who wrote the foreword for the report, shared his thoughts:

“This is a challenging yet exciting time for the water sector – there’s never been a better opportunity to truly impact our environment. However, we’re at a crucial juncture. We need to invest in the skills required right now, or we risk failing to meet the investment demands of the water sector, not to mention other areas of the industry. My concern is that we might end up doing just that, which would create even more issues down the line. It’s time for a concerted, government-supported effort to attract and train new talent and career changers, while also keeping our current workforce engaged.

“As the voice of the profession, CIWEM is dedicated to supporting professionals and practitioners throughout their careers, giving us a unique insight; one that clearly shows we can’t keep going as we have been. Immediate action is essential to ensure we have a workforce and sector that are truly fit for purpose.”

The water industry is facing a skills gap, and CIWEM has put together a seven-step plan to tackle this issue. This plan emphasizes the importance of collaboration across the sector, especially with universities, colleges, and professional organizations. The goal is to develop new training pathways and enhance apprenticeships that blend technical know-how with ecological insights. The report also highlights the necessity for organizations to invest in essential people skills to foster better engagement and teamwork.

Key themes from the Your Future report

Attraction, retention, and diversity: unlocking transferable skills

To thrive, the water industry needs to attract, retain, and nurture talent at all levels, especially as experienced workers retire or move on. With a shortage of professionals ranging from laborers and hydrogeologists to surveyors and planners, the report suggests leveraging transferable skills from other fields like transport and land management. It also encourages reaching out to diverse talent pools, including former military personnel.

Interestingly, over half of CIWEM members (55%) believe that the sector should broaden its recruitment efforts while also enhancing diversity.

Reputation and education: igniting a passion for water careers

It turns out that nearly one in three members (30%) are worried about how the public views the water sector, and this negative perception seems to be putting off new graduates from pursuing careers in this field. The report suggests we need a more upbeat and unified story that showcases the importance and impact of jobs in the water sector.

Education plays a crucial role in this initiative. A lot of students in schools and universities don’t realize the variety of career options available to them. CIWEM recommends that water-related topics be more prominently featured in engineering, geography, environmental science, and similar courses, aiming to spark enthusiasm for water and prepare students to be “water-industry ready.”

New skillsets and on-the-job training: embracing nature-based solutions and digital skills

To tackle future challenges, we’ll need to create new training pathways. Many of the skills required for implementing Nature-based Solutions come from fields like geography, ecology, and environmental studies, rather than the usual engineering disciplines. By blending these skills, we can cultivate a strong pipeline of future professionals.

CIWEM members also see the rising importance of digital skills, with 67% anticipating a need for expertise in areas like data science, modeling, AI, or machine learning. People skills are just as vital, with 68% highlighting the necessity of enhancing collaboration in an increasingly interconnected and multi-organizational sector.

Additional insights from the CIWEM Member Career Survey 2025

42% of members expect to stay in their current roles for the next 12 to 18 months, suggesting a sense of overall career stability.
29% agree or strongly agree that their workload varies too much.
The main obstacles to career development include workload (46%), limited opportunities for growth (29%), and a lack of encouragement or support (18%).
Concerns about pay and working conditions persist, with 33% believing that changes are necessary.
51% feel that the most crucial support needed is for gaining on-the-job experience, while 34% seek assistance with professional qualifications.

To download CIWEM’s Your Future report, visit: CIWEM's Your Future Report – CIWEM