Hosted by Anglian Water, the summit brought together decision-makers from across the region to focus on one critical priority: how action on skills can unlock and sustain growth across the East of England whilst also making sure everyone has access to the opportunities created.  

The one‑day conference focused on the role skills will play in supporting growth across the East of England, a region home to around nine million people and forecast to grow by more than 700,000 over the next 20 years. With major investment underway across infrastructure, housing and industry, speakers emphasised a clear focus on skills to support individual development and enable long‑term growth across the region. 

Key speakers included Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer at Anglian Water, Andrew Pakes MP, Alex Hughes, Founder of Inspire2Ignite, and Matthew Percival, Director for the Future of Work and Skills at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), all sharing experienced insights on how action on skills is critical to unlocking growth and supporting delivery across the East of England. 

Between now and 2030, Anglian Water is delivering its largest ever programme of investment, with upgrades and new infrastructure worth £11 billion set to be delivered in the East of England. As well as the significant population growth forecast in the East of England, the region will be home to several major infrastructure projects over the coming decades. This includes the new proposed Universal Studios park, Sizewell C and East-West Rail – as well as Anglian Water’s own two proposed new reservoirs, its Strategic Pipeline, and other significant capital infrastructure projects. 

Anglian Water, along with its peers in the water and construction industries, will need highly-skilled people to build and maintain these major infrastructure projects, as well as protect the environment from the growing impacts of climate change. The water industry is already facing an ageing workforce, and accelerated investment in the coming years – both within the sector and in other industries – could lead to a shortage of the skills needed to deliver vital environmental infrastructure.  

The event also heard about the need to engage and connect people with the opportunities that growth in the region provides and ensuring nobody gets left behind – including hearing how Festival of the Girl is helping to inspire young girls to explore the career opportunities available to them, and how Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s Tiger Pass is helping to overcome transport barriers to accessing opportunities.  

Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer at Anglian Water, said: “What matters now is how we turn ambition for the East of England into something real and sustained. Today brought together senior leaders from across business, government, education and the not‑for‑profit sector, showing both the importance of this issue and the role regionally significant organisations can play in bringing the right people together to drive change. 

“We focused on what’s already working, through initiatives like Festival of the Girl and Inspire2Ignite, and how we scale that to support the region’s long‑term growth. That ambition rests on people, skills, opportunity and clear routes into good jobs. This wasn’t about more conversation; it was about commitment, and turning collaboration into action that builds the workforce the East of England needs.” 

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, who spoke at the event said, “It was a pleasure to speak at the Skills for a Thriving East summit and to see first‑hand the ambition that exists across our region to match a once‑in‑a‑generation wave of investment with the skills and apprenticeships we need. The challenge now is to turn that energy into practical action, so every young person, and every adult looking to retrain, can build a good career close to home and help power a fairer, greener East of England.” 

Sam Squire, CEO of Inspire 2 Ignite, said: “The Anglian Water Skills Summit will be a catalyst for how the next generation accesses and learns skills. It was a moment that brought together a multitude of stakeholders from across the region for a common cause. The standout commitment was the aim to achieve the 3% NEET (not in education employment or training) rate for the East of England by 2030. With the intention, experience and action taken in that room last week, I genuinely believe this is possible." 

Anglian Water’s skills conference follows the launch of the Green Skills Academy in Wisbech, developed with the College of West Anglia, which was opened last month (22 April). The £4 million Academy, backed by £2 million from Anglian Water and its partners, is creating new training routes into green and environmental skills, helping to build the talent pipeline needed to support investment and growth across the region. 

Anglian Water’s long‑term Building for Better programme sets out how the company is securing the region’s future through infrastructure investment, building skills, and growing the workforce. This includes its largest ever recruitment drive in 2026, alongside ongoing work to develop talent and strengthen training pathways across the East of England.