Water sector facing ‘exodus’ of engineers

The water sector is at risk of losing two-thirds of its engineers to other industries amid concerns over pay, job satisfaction and management, a report has warned.

Engineers across the industry at various levels and specialities are considering quitting, which would add to the current shortage of skilled workers in the sector.

More than a quarter (26%) of the 3,900 engineers surveyed said the skills shortages was “the greatest issue the sector faces”. This was followed by concerns about physical infrastructure (20%), investment/finance (17%) and pollution (16%).

The report by Murray McIntosh, a recruiter within the water sector, indicates that water engineers are motivated to move jobs due to pay and job satisfaction, with management cited as contributing to lower levels of satisfaction.

It shows the industry is struggling to fill more than 35% of skilled roles at present, a situation that will only worsen when one-fifth hit retirement age in the next 10 years.

The report describes the “imbalance” between engineers coming to work in the sector at the beginning of their career compared with those with more experience.

Almost two-thirds (63%) have been in the industry for more than 10 years, while just 12% of respondents had fewer than three years of experience, which highlights the shortage of new talent coming into the water sector.

“The lack of new people entering the industry, coupled with pre-existing skills shortages, and the likelihood of growing workloads as key infrastructure projects come to a head, should be a major concern for employers,” the report adds.

The majority (70%) of engineers connected to the industry said they were considering roles in the oil & gas, nuclear, renewables and transport industries.

Better salary prospects as well as career opportunities were cited by respondents as making these fields more attractive than water.

Visibility of high-profile projects was another enticing factor, with 75% of engineers stating that they value the visibility of a scheme when considering new opportunities, suggesting that companies should consider more promotion of key projects.

Pay was leading factor attracting people to new roles with 45% saying salary was most important, followed by job satisfaction (42%) and within that, 38% said management was impactful.

Flexibility around working hours was attractive to 38%, while just 9% said a role being office based made it attractive to them.

The report suggests the regulator has not done enough to make water more attractive to work in. It adds: “While employers have largely tackled the burden of bringing new skills into the industry independently, Ofwat has so far failed to contribute effectively, and it has been accused by both politicians and industry experts of failing to deliver the financial or management discipline expected.”

It accused Ofwat of “not guaranteeing investment into the aforementioned infrastructure across the country”, and instead being “overly focused on investors”. This has exacerbated the unattractiveness of working in the industry.