Apprenticeship - Sustainable Resource Management

Based on widespread agreement on the trend towards the use of more advanced technologies and automation of processes, it has been estimated that at least 195,950 people will be employed in the industry by 2020. Industry experts have identified a range of current skills gaps including:

• Professional and technical roles: Additional need for technically skilled employees to maintain and operate treatment facilities is expected as more are built. The demand for highly qualified engineers, operational managers and processing technicians is expected to grow significantly in the immediate future.

• Operative and maintenance roles: Corresponding to the advancing skills requirements for more senior positions, increasing skill levels are expected for supporting roles.

• Elementary roles: The large manual base currently retained within the industry has traditionally required a low level of skills. However, as more technology is deployed throughout the industry, there will be a growing demand for higher levels of competence.

In order to meet future labour demands brought about by both growth and changes in the skills needs of the industry, the following priorities need to be met:

• Up-skilling the current workforce: Through up-skilling of the current workforce it is believed to be possible to meet some of the new skills needs within the industry.  This is anticipated to be especially appropriate for manual, operative and lower level technical roles.

• Recruiting new entrants: A traditionally poor image of the industry is perceived to have hampered recruitment in the past. There is now an acute need to recruit a significant number of new entrants into the industry over the next decade. The need to attract young new entrants is widely recognised as the industry workforce ages and employees with a wealth of technical expertise approach retirement.

The Apprenticeship in Sustainable Resource Management provides a key opportunity to address the current and future skills shortages identified by the industry. It will attract new entrants by providing a structured route to job competence and career progression and can also be used to up skill existing staff. It provides the ability for employers to “grow their own” workforce where technically competent individuals are increasingly difficult to recruit. The Apprenticeship enables employers to identify managers of the future and support succession planning whilst delivering tangible benefits such as reduced staff turnover. The Apprenticeship provides an opportunity to improve perceptions by raising standards and supporting the professionalisation of the industry. 

Apprenticeship Framework Overview

Apprenticeship in Sustainable Resource Management

A skilled, competent workforce is vital for meeting the challenge of an increasingly competitive global economy. With legal and environmental drivers pushing to more sophisticated waste management solutions, it is crucial to facilitate an adequate supply of competent people to develop, maintain and enhance the waste management industry. The Apprenticeship has been designed around skills needed by the industry.

Job Roles

The Apprenticeship underpins a range of operator (Level 2) job roles including:

• Waste Collection Driver/ Loader
• Recyclables Collection Driver/ Loader
• Weighbridge Operative
• Compost Operative
• Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Operative
• Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) Operative
• Recycling Operative - Reception and Segregation
• Processing or a Waste Electrical and Electronic
• Equipment (WEEE) processing pathway
• Manual/ Mechanical Street Cleanser
• Team Leader

The Apprenticeship underpins a range of supervisory (Level 3) job roles including:

• Recycling Collection Supervisor
• Refuse Collection Supervisor
• Transfer Station Supervisor
• Treatment (Physical/ Chemical/ Thermal) Supervisor
• Biological Treatment Supervisor
• Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Supervisor
• Landfill Supervisor
• Sustainability Officer