Veolia has successfully engaged current colleagues to reskill and upskill through apprenticeships too.

Investing in training and employment schemes isn’t just a strategy for closing skills gaps—it’s a proven formula for success.

Among senior decision makers at SMEs in England, 74% have reported seeing a business benefit from offering technical education schemes, and 73% agree that they can be more agile by adopting upskilling practices, according to research by Skills for Life and British Chambers of Commerce.

This is especially true for businesses in the green economy, which is growing rapidly but demands specialised skills—many technological—that educational curricula often don’t address. To tackle this, Veolia, a resource management company focused on ecological transformation with 14,000 UK based employees, launched apprenticeships, recruiting from Skills Bootcamps and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) to fill diverse roles and build the skills needed to secure its future.

Firstly to address its HGV driver shortage, a nationwide challenge, Veolia partnered with Telford College to recruit newly qualified drivers through HGV Skills Bootcamps. The partnership led to individuals securing permanent contracts and now provides a regular route to employment, benefitting both the organisation and potential employees. To bridge a critical chemistry skills gap, Veolia also launched a Higher Technical Qualification trainee program, and has been recruiting new trainees........

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