Earlier this week, on Tuesday 10 February, Anglian Water apprentices welcomed a visit from Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes to the water company’s Peterborough office to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. The meeting comes after Anglian Water announced a record-breaking recruitment drive for apprentices earlier this week. With 130 roles on offer across Anglian Water and its alliances – the largest pool ever offered by the company, and more than double last year’s intake – people across the East of England have a unique opportunity to get involved with transformative change for their region.

Having already recruited its 2026 finance apprentices and digital degree apprentices, Anglian Water is now offering a variety of roles over the next few months, from data analysts to tanker drivers and field-based operational technicians, as it looks to deliver a record £11 billion package of investment into the region’s water and sewerage networks by 2030.

Roles available include: water recycling treatment and water supply field-based roles, field-based Maintenance Technicians, Operational Technology roles, Quantity Surveyors, Data Analysts and Commercial roles and one of the water company’s newest apprenticeships, for tanker driver roles. 

Andrew Pakes MP met with four current apprentices from the company, in roles ranging from Quantity Surveyor and Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeships to Maintenance Technician and Operations Apprentices, as well as former apprentices now in full-time roles with the business.

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, said:

“Visiting Anglian Water during National Apprenticeship Week was a great opportunity to meet apprentices who are playing a vital role in delivering essential services across the region. The scale of Anglian Water’s programme, recruiting 130 apprentices this year across a wide range of technical and operational roles, shows a strong commitment to developing future skills and supporting local career opportunities.

“It was inspiring to hear how apprentices are contributing fresh ideas and building long-term careers, and I heard that 86% stay on after completing their programme. Anglian Water’s investment in digital, green and specialist skills demonstrates how employers, training providers and policymakers can work together to strengthen local resilience and support the workforce of the future.”

The East of England region is home to four of the fastest growing cities in the country, as well as nationally-significant projects such as the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, Sizewell C and the proposed Universal Studios theme park in Bedford. Successful delivery of these and other projects will require major investment in modern, resilient water infrastructure.

Anglian Water is gearing up for its largest-ever year of investment from April, as £1.6 billion of improvements are set to be made to the region’s water and sewerage infrastructure in the second year of a five-year business plan, worth £11 billion overall. In order to deliver this plan, the company will need to recruit thousands of new employees, including up to 800 apprentices – many of them into green jobs.

New apprentices are key to the delivery of such an ambitious plan, and will quickly be rolling their sleeves up, getting hands-on experience as part of a team – building for better by protecting the East of England’s water resources, supporting local communities, and shaping a sustainable future.

Anglian’s CEO, Mark Thurston, began his career as an apprentice railway engineer. Mark said:

“At Anglian Water, we’re committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are passionate about giving people from all walks of life access to opportunities to enable them to thrive. I started my career as a technical apprentice and would encourage anyone who would like to work at Anglian, at a pivotal time for the water industry, to apply. Water is critical to enabling economic growth and four of the country’s fastest growing cities are in the East of England. Join us and be part of Britain’s future.”

Nick Fleming, Head of Skills External Engagement at Anglian Water, said:

“We’re excited to offer people the opportunity to be part of transforming the region they live and work in, all while earning as they learn.

“This is our biggest apprentice recruitment drive to date – more than double last year’s intake – with a wide range of roles available. We hope candidates will see this as the start of a really exciting career. Whatever your age or previous experience, we’ll welcome your application. Over the last five years alone, we've had more than 500 apprentices join us, and we're very proud that 86% of people who've completed an apprenticeship with us are still here after 10 years, which is a testament to the investment we make in giving local people valuable skills.”

Apprenticeship applications open over a phased approach from now until the end of June 2026. Opportunities to join Anglian Water as it delivers this revolutionary investment programme aren’t just limited to apprenticeships. While the company’s apprentice roles are open to all ages and experience levels, it also runs dedicated programmes for those looking to retrain, such as its @one Alliance’s Training Schools. It also opened applications for its graduate recruitment programme in October, and is set to run tailored work experience sessions for younger people this spring, in partnership with selected schools.

Candidates can apply for open apprenticeship roles on Anglian Water’s careers website now and on the @one Alliance’s careers website.