The water industry is set to benefit from a new group created by
government to ensure it has the skilled workforce it needs to
deliver record levels of investment and reform.
The Water Skills Strategic Group held its first meeting today,
13th November 2025, bringing together senior leaders in
government from and across the water sector and its supply
chain.
The group's focus will be the delivery of the £104 billion
investment – the largest since privatisation – which will create
more than 30,000 new jobs, support the building of 1.5 million
new homes, and help restore the nation's rivers, lakes and
seas.
Convened by Defra and co-chaired with sector skills body Energy
& Utility Skills, the group will drive coordinated action to
grow a future-ready, highly skilled workforce across England and
Wales, which will form the future of the water
sector.
The Group will ensure the water sector has the skills needed to
deliver huge infrastructure projects including nine new
reservoirs, nine large-scale water transfer schemes and reducing
leaks from water pipes. This will include roles such as
bioresources technicians, hydraulics specialists, engineers,
construction workers, and surveyors.
Meeting quarterly, the group will focus on identifying where
skills are needed most across the sector, exploring how to
improve its attractiveness to new, diverse talent and ensuring
the right training and qualifications are in place. A framework
for measuring progress will ensure the group is achieving its
objectives, creating impact and robustly planning to support the
implementation of the government's water reform.
Water Minister said:
We're driving the biggest overhaul of the water sector since
privatisation - making sure record investment goes
where it's needed most to clean up our
rivers, lakes and seas.
That means opening up jobs and opportunities across England and
Wales so we have skilled people on the ground, in every
community, delivering the change we all want to see.
This partnership between government, industry and training bodies
will help build the workforce we need for the future of
our water sector.
Paul Cox, Group Chief Executive, Energy & Utility
Skills, said:
The water sector stands at a pivotal moment with a shared
responsibility to deliver for customers and the environment.
Skills are central to that ambition. The scale of AMP8 investment
will bring lasting benefits for communities, families and
individuals across the United Kingdom.
By grounding decisions in evidence, attracting new talent,
developing expertise and retaining experience, the sector can
build a skilled and resilient workforce ready to meet future
challenges. Through collaboration and pace, the sector can turn
ambition into delivery and secure clean, reliable and sustainable
water for generations to come.
This builds on commitments made at the Water UK Skills Summit
earlier this year where government and industry leaders signed
the Water Skills Pledge, affirming the government's commitment to
ensuring the water sector has the skills and workforce it needs
to succeed.
Defra also established the Water Delivery Taskforce, which brings
together Government, regulators, and water industry
representatives, to ensure water companies complete their planned
investments on time and on budget - providing value for money for
customers.
The government will fast-track key recommendations from the
Independent Water Commission and outline further actions in a
White Paper later this year, paving the way for new legislation
to attract investment, speed up infrastructure delivery, and
restore public confidence in the sector.
Notes to editors:
-
The Water Skills Strategic Group is jointly chaired by Defra
and Energy & Utility Skills.
-
Membership includes senior representatives from Defra, Energy
& Utility Skills, Water UK, British Water, the Institute
of Water, CIWEM, the Future Water Association, major water
companies across England and Wales, supply chain contractors
and key government departments.
-
The group will run until March 2030, aligning with Asset
Management Period 8.
