Unlock Your Future in Water & Engineering: Thames Water's Massive Careers Fair Connects 1,200 Jobseekers with Apprenticeships

Thames Water Leads Water Sector Careers Fair During National Apprenticeship Week 2026

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026, London Design & Engineering UTC (LDE UTC) hosted Thames Water's inaugural Water Sector Careers Fair, bringing together approximately 1,200 learners and jobseekers from across London and the Home Counties.

Delivered in collaboration with 17 supply chain partners, the event provided direct access to apprenticeship pathways, live vacancies and technical career routes across the water, engineering, construction and infrastructure sectors.

The morning session welcomed learners from LDE UTC and neighbouring colleges, while the afternoon opened to over 300 members of the public, including career changers and those seeking entry into the sector. Attendees ranged in age from 13 to 50, reflecting the breadth of opportunity available across operational, technical and professional roles within the Thames Water supply chain.

Participating employers included Thames Water, Costain Group PLC, Kier Group, Glanua, Barhale Ltd, Galliford Try, M Group, Clancy, Turner & Townsend, Murphy, EMCOR UK, Arcadis, Mott MacDonald, Stantec, MWH Treatment and K10 Apprenticeships Limited.

Apprenticeships at the Centre

With National Apprenticeship Week focused on celebrating and promoting high-quality apprenticeship routes, the fair placed progression firmly at the centre of the conversation. Visitors were able to speak directly with employers about entry-level apprenticeships, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities, and long-term career development across both site-based and office-based roles.

For many learners, it was their first opportunity to engage with such a broad cross-section of infrastructure employers in one setting and to understand how apprenticeship pathways connect to sustained employment within the sector.

Strengthening Industry Partnerships

Thames Water is a founding sponsor of LDE UTC, with a long-standing partnership spanning multiple year groups and curriculum areas.

Janice Tricks, Careers and Employer Engagement Lead at LDE UTC, said:

“Thames Water has been a long-standing partner of LDE UTC, supporting our learners across multiple year groups and curriculum areas, including T Level placements and work experience.

“Hosting the Water Sector Careers Fair gave our learners direct access to employers they may not otherwise have encountered and strengthened the connection between technical education and real workforce opportunity.

“We look forward to building on this partnership and developing the event further in future years.”

Supporting National Skills Priorities

The event reflects wider national priorities around strengthening apprenticeship pathways and addressing skills shortages in critical infrastructure sectors. As investment continues across water and environmental infrastructure, closer collaboration between employers and further education providers is essential to building sustainable talent pipelines. Hosting the fair during National Apprenticeship Week 2026 reinforced the role of employer-led technical education in meeting real workforce demand.