How We Can Help Build the Workforce for AMP8

SP Engineering Consultancy is the dedicated engineering division of Shirley Parsons, providing expert support to organisations across the water sector.

Helping you find and deploy the right talent to meet your project demands.

The UK water industry is at a critical juncture. As AMP8 (2025–2030) begins, water companies face a perfect storm of challenges: growing demand from a rising population, stricter environmental regulations, climate-related pressures on supply, and an acute shortage of skilled labour.

The Environment Agency has warned of a potential daily water deficit of 5 billion litres by 2050, a gap that can only be addressed through accelerated infrastructure investment and smarter resource management. But infrastructure alone isn’t enough.

Ofwat’s review of AMP7 revealed that project delays were frequently linked to skills shortages. Civil, mechanical, electrical, and process engineers are urgently needed for new reservoirs, treatment upgrades, and phosphorus removal systems. Yet demand is outpacing supply: competition from renewable energy and transport sectors, alongside a declining pipeline of STEM graduates, has left the water industry in a race for talent.

This is more than a hiring challenge; it’s a delivery risk. Without the right engineers, compliance targets, net zero commitments, and resilience goals are at stake.

What can be done?

We have worked in the sector since AMP4, helping clients navigate exactly these resourcing pressures. Our capability document explores three critical strategies:

Contract staffing as a pressure valve: bringing in project-ready specialists to plug urgent gaps and transfer expertise to in-house teams.
Permanent recruitment and workforce planning: building long-term capability while reducing reliance on overstretched internal pipelines.
Employer branding and retention: competing for scarce talent not just on salary, but through purpose-driven work, progression, and culture.

As Teo De La Cruz, our Framework Delivery Director, notes:

“From water treatment plants to energy infrastructure, designing and delivering the right control and automation systems is essential. With Shirley Parsons, clients get access to talent who not only understand compliance and safety, but also bring the technical expertise to modernise critical infrastructure.”

The water industry has little room for delay. AMP8 requires alignment with Ofwat’s PR24 framework, Defra’s Plan for Water, and the Environment Agency’s WINEP 2025 programme. Delivering on those expectations demands more than capital, it demands people.

Check out our latest capability guide for a detailed breakdown of our services, practical insights, salary benchmarks, and market data, all designed to help you plan for AMP8 with confidence.