Murray’s Post

As someone who's been in Local Authorities for the last 5yrs, a regulator for 8yrs before that and a consultant for 6yrs before that....all in the water sector (flooding and drainage specifically) I've noticed a MASSIVE decline in suitable candidates applying to posts over the last 4yrs in particular. For the tasks I deal with, lockdown wasn't an issue as we switched to remote working with relative ease. People in public sector have lost the 'race' with private sector benefits and are either not considering posts or are shipping out. The quality of applicants however is typically (and there are exceptions) poor. Whether this is desperation on their part or laziness I'm not sure. True example was an advert I had out for a 'Consultant Engineer' post in Flooding that required Chartership (Scientist, Environmentalist or Engineer). I had Virgin Media field technicians, lighting design engineers, bicycle 'engineers' and more applying. It is disheartening as a recruiting manager to see those applications, but the article supports the evidence. [Edit upon reflection] Not all the applicants, and certainly successful candidates, have been poor. I have appointed both properly well qualified people, and also 'diamonds in the rough'.

#TimeForChange #New #Strategy headlines designed to cause concern, and to #Shock #Remind the #WaterIndustry and #Government More #research needed to identify #UK #Water #Skillsets - sort the chaos throughout #UK #rivers #canals #lakes #lochs #coastline #watersupplies The #Pipeline for new #engineering and wider #water #skills does indeed exist in many #Universities #Programmes including, Cranfield University University of Stirling plus, numerous #Universities #Industries have experienced a so called #exodus or, readjustment, of sorts ! including: #Textiles #Mining #Steel #Car #Production #Manufacturing #Agriculture over many decades The #engineers exodus may not be the crisis but just a piece of the jigsaw? #Politicians #Water #Industrial #Leaders can fix and plug #skills and #investment so badly needed Lack of investment, industry criticism, public spotlights grind #engineers down so, they seek #cleaner #waters ! The reflections may not be what #engineers desire ! But what are the real factors of dissalusionment of #Engineers in #UK #Water ? The #dire #watermanagement #strategies from many #Actors including Ofwat and lack of #investment and #Forward #Vision around #Good #Governance will not #Motivate

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Thanks, Daniel Ware !