WET News

4 WET NEWS JULY 2016 News+ Good monthT- Bad month Northumbrian Water has topped the supplier satisfaction list in British Water's annual supply chain survey. Birmingham was the highest ranked UK city in 9th place to appear in a list of the world's best cities for sustainable water management. Northumbrian Water boss Heidi Mottram has been named on a list of the top 50 most influential female engineers. For slugs as Anglian Water expands and extends its Slug It Out campaign, which promotes methaldehyde- free farming, into a second year. Skills shortage could lead to Premier League-level wages • Company predicts wage inflation in the utilities sector could rival that of Premier League footballers as experience becomes 'more and more valuable'. W orkers in the water, gas and electricity sectors could demand Premier League-level salaries in future if the skills shortage is not dealt with by the government and employers, Develop Training has warned. Chris Wood, the company's chief executive officer, said: "Most people will be unaware of a looming catastrophe, one that threatens to literally turn Britain's lights out. The chronic skills shortage in the utilities, energy and construction industries means companies are fishing from the same small pool of talent, which is inevitably pushing up salaries." He said that if the skills shortage is not tackled head on, "those few who do have the skills and experience will become more and more valuable", as companies struggle to maintain the level of service consumers are currently receiving. "…we'll eventually see wage inflation to unsustainable levels, maybe even rivalling Premiership footballers." Businesses and consumers could see a hike in service prices as a result of rising wage bills. Since the start of this year, Develop Training has been hosting a series of industry round table events to share best practice, generate ideas and tangible action plans to tackle the crisis. Companies such as Balfour Beatty, Skanska UK, Siemens, tRIIO, SGN, City & Guilds, Energy & Utility Skills, Servelec Controls and Mentor Training Solutions have been taking an active role in the discussions. Wood said: "We desperately need to attract and train young people to take the places of the ageing workforce in these vital industries. If we can turn this situation around, we can have confidence that the lights will stay on, our heating will continue to warm our houses, and our taps will continue to provide running water. "Otherwise, the day is fast approaching when there will simply not be enough workers available to perform these vital jobs. We are already seeing wage inflation as employers compete for a dwindling workforce, and that trend will continue until there is an upturn in the number of new recruits." He said school leavers and young people, as well as those currently unemployed need to be made aware of the benefits of apprenticeships and the opportunities available in the concrete steel clean water civils waste water FULL REFURBISHMENT SERVICES FOR RESERVOIR & WATER TOWERS, CLEAN & SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, STEEL/CONCRETE TANKS & VESSELS, SPILLWAYS & AQUEDUCTS, BRIDGES, PIPEWORK, PIPE BRIDGES & OTHER ASSETS. FULL CIVIL ENGINEERING CAPABILITY INC NEW BUILD PROJECTS. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR OUR FULL SCOPE OF SERVICES. CONTRACT WINS • Atkins is providing Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water with consultancy services to help maintain a safe and reliable drinking water supply across Wales and parts of western England. The £3M framework contract from this month runs until 2019. • Yorkshire Water has awarded international construction and support services group Interserve account extensions worth more than £1M to deliver fire and water safety services to existing customers. • ESG been awarded a two-year contract to carry out water monitoring, assessment and treatment works by Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust. The iconic North London venue, known as 'Ally Pally', is now benefitting from a wide range of specialist water hygiene services. ESG's water management team will also monitor the temperature of the Palace's water system. WSP Parsons Brinckeroff to buy industrial water consultancy • Acquisition enables group to provide water consulting services and project solutions to industrial clients worldwide. W SP Parsons Brinckeroff is to acquire the industrial water consultancy business from Schlumberger, a leading oilfield services company. The two companies have entered into an agreement for the acquisition. The 250-employee business will enable WSP to provide water consulting services and project solutions to industrial clients worldwide, and will establish a presence for WSP in Chile and Peru. The acquisition will also add to its presence in a number of countries in which it currently operates, including the US, UK, Colombia and Mexico. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016. "The industrial water consultancy team will bring WSP an increased presence in the attractive global water market, more specifically, in the supply, management, control and environmental protection of water," said Alexandre L'Heureux, the incoming president and chief executive officer of WSP. "This transaction, which will be financed using our available cash, is aligned with our growth strategy; not only are we deepening our expertise in the industrial water sector, but we are strengthening our presence in South America, a region we are targeting in our 2015-2018 strategic plan. We look forward to welcoming all new employees from this division." John McCartney, business manager, Industrial Water Consultancy, at Schlumberger, said: "We are pleased about the prospect of joining WSP as our operations are complementary, and expect to create new opportunities for our employees and our clients. "Upon closing, we anticipate playing an active role in the development and growth of WSP's multi-disciplinary group in South America and to offer a wide range of additional services to our clients around the world." utility sector. "We also need to overcome prejudice against work that is seen as manual labour rather than vital, skilled work," he added. "In order to make this happen, the education system needs to engage school students early on, just as they used to, before universities were seen as the most accepted route of further education. Let's all work together to ensure apprenticeships are efficiently marketed to everyone as a respected first choice alongside academic routes and not a second best option." People with the skills and experience will become more valuable "We desperately need to attract and train young people to take the places of the ageing workforce in these vital industries" Chris Wood, Develop Training

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