From Scarcity to Abundance: Unlocking Talent in Critical Infrastructure

John Shepherd, Client Services Director at Rullion, recently sat down with Lindsay Harrison, Rullion’s Chief Customer Officer and Chair for Engineering Recruitment at APSCo UK, to examine why the skills shortage story in energy industry recruitment agencies and engineering needs to change. Their conversation explored how an abundance mindset, grounded in inclusion, transferable skills and smarter workforce strategies, can help critical infrastructure employers unlock hidden talent pools and build the capability needed for the decade ahead. Energy consumption overall is declining while electricity demand is surging. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, AI and data centres are driving a projected 50% rise in demand by 2035. The shift is powered by Net Zero goals, energy security and rapid technology adoption. The pull is so strong that firms like Microsoft and Google are investing directly in the Energy sector. “This isn’t something coming down the road,” John explains. “We’re in it right now.” The energy transition could create nearly three quarters of a million green jobs in the UK by 2030. The Nuclear Industry Association’s jobs map shows civil nuclear roles rising from 64,000 to 87,000 in three years. The Financial Times reports green jobs up 36% since 2015. These are not abstract statistics. They reflect projects Rullion supports, from Hinkley Point C to Sizewell C. If those roles are being filled, talent exists. The challenge is access. The Challenge with the Scarcity Narrative Negative headlines dominate LinkedIn, trade journals, and national news. “Skills shortage” grabs attention, stirs emotion, and generates clicks. But, as John points out: “News is designed to be bad and negative. It grabs attention. It stirs up emotion. It’s clickbait. That scarcity narrative is stifling opportunity.” The reality is that the UK energy recruitment market is growing. The bigger challenge isn’t the absence of talent; it’s the barriers we’ve created that stop it flowing into the right roles. Lindsay adds a customer lens. Clients tell her they cannot find people, yet the real issue is how talent is defined, where it is sought and how candidates experience the journey. Reframing those inputs unlocks supply. Challenge 1: Rigid Job Specifications Overly prescriptive job specs, especially those demanding exact, like-for-like industry experience, instantly narrow the search and shut out skilled candidates. In critical infrastructure, where delivery deadlines are tight and skill demands shift quickly, this rigidity can slow projects and drive-up costs. Some qualifications are non-negotiable, but industry-specific experience isn’t always essential. As John points out: “Great engineers from aerospace, defence, and construction can bring huge value. They’re problem solvers, safety-minded, and used to working in complex, regulated environments.” These sectors operate under stringent compliance requirements, manage high-risk projects, and demand the same precision and safety culture as energy sector roles. Overlooking these candidates because they haven’t “done it here before” means missing out on proven capability. Challenge 2: Candidate Experience Barriers The process shapes outcomes. If interviews lack inclusion, feedback is unclear or applications are hard to complete, strong candidates step away before shortlist. The effect is even sharper for underrepresented groups. This is a priority area for Lindsay. “Every interaction matters,” she says. “From the language in a job description to who is on the panel, the experience tells candidates whether they belong. If it does not feel inclusive, great people disengage before they can show what they can do.” Treating candidates as customers improves conversion and strengthens reputation across Energy recruitment communities. Challenge 3: Overlooked Talent Pools Veterans. Neurodiverse professionals. Returning parents. Mid-career switchers. These people bring the mindset and capabilities to excel in critical infrastructure, yet traditional screening often filters them out. “They’re all here,” John says. “They’re all skilled. They’re all ready. But in many cases, they’re being overlooked because of outdated systems, processes, and mindsets.” CV gaps, career changes and non-linear paths are interpreted as risk instead of potential. Lindsay argues for evidence over assumptions and points to lived examples. Challenge 4: Shared Responsibility The responsibility for change doesn’t sit solely with recruiters. Hiring managers, in-house talent teams, and recruitment partners all play a role in broadening searches and challenging old habits. As Lindsay puts it: “It’s not one-sided. We all need to look wider than we have in the past.” This means collaboration at every stage. From shaping job specs and identifying transferable skills, to designing inclusive selection processes that open the gates rather than narrowing them. Four Solutions for an Abundant Workforce 1. Change the Mindset Scarcity talk grows the problem. John’s advice is simple: ask better questions. Where else can we look, what is truly essential, what can be trained and how do we widen the gate without compromising safety or quality? “If we keep saying we can’t find talent, the problem will only get bigger,” John warns. 2. Open the Gates with Inclusive Hiring By rethinking job specs, reducing unnecessary barriers, and designing inclusive selection processes, employers can attract a wider range of applicants, and benefit from the innovation and resilience that come with diversity. Lindsay champions consistent feedback loops so candidates feel respected even when the answer is no. That reputation compounds over time. 3. Build Talent, Don’t Just Buy It Rullion’s Train to Deploy model converts abundance into delivery. Identify high-potential people on behaviours and learning agility, upskill them with project-specific training and deploy them into roles that add value from day one. As part of our broader Train to Deploy Strategy, this helps Energy sector employers build internal capability instead of competing for a shrinking external pool. The result is faster readiness, better retention and teams formed around real work rather than perfect CVs. 4. Tell the Positive Stories Stories shift markets. Case studies of hires from non-traditional backgrounds show what good looks like and attract more of it. “The more we talk positively, the more people will listen,” John says. “The more people who listen will be drawn to this sector, and then you gain momentum.” Lindsay’s view is practical: publish the wins, spotlight the teams and make success visible so others follow. See Rosie’s story from rail contracting, where flexibility and neurodiversity became advantages rather than obstacles: Rosie on rail contracting, flexibility and neurodiversity A Call to the Sector The UK’s energy and wider growth in critical infrastructure create one of the largest workforce shifts in decades. Leaders who move from scarcity to abundance will stop competing for the same small pool and start creating a broader, sustainable pipeline. Lindsay sums it up: “If we want a workforce that can deliver the future, we must open the gate to people with potential, not only those who tick every box.” John’s line completes the thought that talent isn’t scarce. Opportunity is gate. “Our job is to open the gates.” Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/8bwXFDm2-NE

Delivering AMP8: Solving the Water Sector’s Talent Challenge

AMP8 brings the most ambitious expectations ever placed on the UK water industry: Reduce pollution and storm overflows Deliver measurable progress toward Net Zero Improve affordability and customer service Embrace digital tools and smart infrastructure Integrate nature-based and resilient solutions Each of these priorities demands a workforce that is capable, motivated, and equipped to deliver - across both permanent and contingent roles. Without the right talent strategy, investment targets and project outcomes risk falling short. A New Era of Complexity, Accountability and Innovation The challenges of AMP8 go far beyond technical delivery. Utilities face rising customer expectations, increased regulatory scrutiny, and a competitive talent market that extends well beyond the sector. Digital transformation is accelerating across the utilities sector. This acceleration and pressure to transform is having an unavoidable impact on water companies and their ability to effectively resource projects as the skills needed to support are in short supply. The sector’s long-term resilience will depend on how well organisations can adapt their workforce strategies now - before skills shortages become critical roadblocks. The Three Major Issues For all its ambition, the water sector enters AMP8 with a growing talent gap. Existing workforce strategies are under pressure and in many cases, outdated. 1. An Ageing Workforce Almost a third of the industry’s workforce is nearing retirement. Without effective knowledge transfer and succession planning, utilities face the loss of decades of technical expertise and operational experience - skills that can’t be replaced overnight. Rullion helps water companies tackle this challenge head-on by: Embedding succession planning into workforce strategies so knowledge is retained, not lost. Combining behaviour-first hiring with mentoring programmes to bring in early-career talent who can learn directly from experienced professionals before they retire. Using our Managed Service Programme (MSP) to track skills data across the contingent workforce, identifying potential gaps years in advance and planning resourcing accordingly. This approach not only preserves institutional knowledge but ensures organisations are continuously building capability for the future, rather than reacting after critical skills have already walked out the door. 2. Digital and Delivery Skills Gaps The digitalisation of asset management, data analytics, and cyber-secure operations is outpacing current talent pipelines. The result? Skills gaps in key areas like project delivery, engineering, and smart infrastructure implementation - all of which are essential for AMP8 success. Rullion bridges these gaps by: Partnering with clients to map emerging skills needs linked to AMP8’s digital and transformation goals. Using our Train to Deploy model to upskill candidates into roles such as data engineers, SCADA specialists, and digital project managers. Taking a sector-agnostic view of talent by identifying people from other industries (e.g., energy, manufacturing, defence) with transferable digital skills and preparing them for water-sector delivery. Leveraging our MSP for utilities to ensure project-critical roles are filled quickly without compromising on quality or compliance. By combining proactive workforce planning with targeted skills creation, we help utilities keep pace with digital transformation, rather than playing catch-up. 3. Competing for Scarce Talent The water industry is no longer competing solely with other utilities. Water companies are now recruiting in the same pool as energy, renewables, and tech; sectors which often offer more competitive packages. To succeed water companies must rethink what makes their workforce strategy competitive, sustainable, and future-ready. And ultimately what differentiates them as an employer of choice. Right now, most of the conversation focuses on what the sector lacks - an ongoing shortage of engineering, project delivery, and digital skills. But what if we reframed the challenge? Across the UK, there is an abundance of people with the right behaviours, values, and potential to thrive in these roles. The opportunity lies in unlocking that potential through targeted training and development. That’s why forward-thinking utilities are starting to invest in models like Train to Deploy, which create the skills needed for AMP8 rather than competing endlessly for a limited external talent pool. Rethinking Workforce Strategy for AMP8 Meeting the challenges of AMP8 requires more than reactive hiring. It calls for strategic, agile workforce solutions that can scale with demand, address niche skills gaps, and embed diversity and inclusion from the outset. At Rullion, we help water and utilities organisations transition from short-term resourcing to sustainable workforce transformation. 1. Scalable MSP Solutions for Utilities Our Managed Service Programme (msp) model provides: Greater visibility and control over contingent workforce spend Reduced time-to-hire across critical roles Optimised supplier performance Seamless compliance and risk mitigation Talent data and planning aligned to AMP8 milestones Our partnership with Northumbrian Water Group demonstrates what this looks like in practice - rapid mobilisation, robust governance, and a collaborative approach that puts people at the centre. Explore the full case study to see how Rullion helped NWG mobilise a fully embedded workforce solution in under four weeks. 2. Train to Deploy: Building Skills, Not Just Hiring Them Where talent is scarce, our Train to Deploy solution helps organisations develop it. We can identify high-potential candidates through behaviour-first hiring, train them in the technical skills required for AMP8, and deploy them into critical roles. Benefits include: Behaviour-first hiring based on mindset and potential Customised training aligned to technical and regulatory needs More inclusive and diverse talent pipelines Stronger long-term retention and team capability This approach enables utilities to future-proof their workforce by building capability from within, rather than relying solely on an increasingly competitive external market. It’s a smarter way to build the talent you need and avoid just search endlessly for it. “Train to Deploy helps water companies move from reactive hiring to proactive workforce planning by building pipelines of talent designed around AMP8’s critical roles, operational teams, and long-term sector goals.” – Dan Crerand, Train to Deploy Director From Filling Roles to Building Readiness AMP8 is about more than delivering projects. It’s an opportunity to rethink how the water sector builds, supports, and develops its workforce for the long term. While filling vacancies will always be part of the picture, the organisations that will thrive are those that plan, create talent pipelines, and adapt their strategies as the sector evolves. Readiness means having the right people in place at the right time - not by chance, but through careful planning, investment in skills, and a commitment to developing talent from within. It’s about recognising the abundance of skills that already exists and finding new ways to unlock potential through training, reskilling, and inclusive hiring. At Rullion, we work alongside major UK water companies to put these principles into practice; delivering workforce solutions for utilities that are agile, scalable, and designed to support both immediate goals and long-term ambitions. With the right approach, AMP8 can set the foundations for a more capable, adaptable, and future-ready sector.