Like many organisations, Thames Water has long faced the dual challenge of an ageing workforce and a persistent shortage of talent entering the sector.
For years, I’ve argued that bridging the skills gap is a critical business imperative. But organisations will not close that gap if they continue relying solely on traditional recruitment methods.
To find the right people with the right skills, businesses must widen their talent attraction strategies and intentionally reach into untapped talent pools.
Apprenticeships are one important route, but they must sit within a broader, more inclusive approach to talent.
Thames Water has deliberately shifted towards recruiting from ‘untapped talent’ routes – not solely as just an initiative, but as a business-critical approach to filling vacancies; diversifying our workforce and opening up roles to people who would otherwise be excluded.
On the tin, untapped talent is about removing unnecessary barriers and widening access, creating equity, opening roles to communities we have historically missed and building a workforce that better reflects the customers and regions we serve.
The data consistently shows that diverse teams perform better, think differently and solve problems more effectively, and in a tight labour market, widening access is essential to meeting our skills needs.
Indeed, over 30% of all BAU recruitment at Thames Water is now via untapped talent pathways, spanning a broad range of backgrounds including care-experienced individuals, armed forces leavers and prison leavers. This is already strengthening our workforce resilience and widening the talent pool we can draw from. By 2030, this figure will continue to grow as these routes expand across more parts of the business.
This is why I am delighted to have been recently appointed as a member of BusinessLDN’s London Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Advisory Board. It gives us a platform to shape the regional skills system, influence providers and ensure the future talent pipeline aligns with the real needs of our sector.
But as businesses invest, adapt and future‑proof their workforces, they need a skills system that genuinely supports lifelong careers.
The shift from the Apprenticeship Levy to the Growth and Skills Levy signalled a positive intent, but recent funding changes risk reducing the flexibility employers need in practice. Defunding some management and leadership pathways may inadvertently weaken the very skills organisations rely on to support untapped talent to thrive – creating inclusive environments, developing confidence, and enabling progression.
If we want people not just to enter work but to build sustainable careers, employers must retain the ability to invest in skills at every stage of the journey.