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Environmental Technologies

Environmental technologies include... recycling of metal, non-metal waste and scrap, technical testing and analysis, the manufacture of non-domestic cooling and ventilation equipment, the collection, purification and distribution of water, the demolition and wrecking of buildings, the construction of water projects, the insulation of work activities, the manufacture of electricity distribution and control apparatus, and sewage and refuse disposal, sanitation and similar activities.

This page offers a wealth of information and resources to help you investigate working in this sector or to help you read up to impress in applications and interviews.

Contents include:

Overview

Environmental technologies are an emerging sector in the South West There are some 22,000 people contributing around £1,300 million to the regional economy. It is estimated that the sections of economy linked to the environment have the potential to develop a further 39,000 jobs and £670 million.

The geographical location of the South West makes it a suitable location for wave and wind energy production and it is estimated that some 1,100 people are currently employed in renewable energy in the region. A 2005 study found that there could be as many as 6,600 full-time equivalent people employed in the renewables sector in the South West by 2010 and 17,400 by 2020. Its total contribution to the South West economy could be as much as £183 million by 2010 and £517 million by 2020. Regen SW is the primary support organisation for the South West Sector.

The South West region is home to the UK's first commercial wind farm, the first commercial centralised anareobic digestion plant , the UK's first pryolysis plant and the world's first permanent off-shore tidal energy turbine.

University expertise is helping to ensure that the region is first for supporting the growth of the Environment Technologies industry through leading research and consultancy, high quality training and development, business focussed students and laboratories to renewable energy test beds.

South West Universities have extensive expertise in Environment Technology (ET) and the level of skills in ET businesses is very high, with approximately 80% of ET companies employing graduates and over 50% employing postgraduates.

Types and locations of work

The Annual Business Inquiry data shows both the number of businesses in the sector and the number of employees.

In 2007:

There were 1,801 Environmental Technology businesses in the South West.
The majority of these businesses (1,765) had fewer than 100 employees.
Only 36 businesses had 100 or more employees.
The sector employed some 21,800 employees (1.0% of the South West workforce).

The main sub-sectors in terms of employee numbers were:

Sewage and refuse disposal (6,700 employees).
The collection and purification of water industry (3,800 employees).
The manufacturing of electrical distribution apparatus industry (3,400 employees).
Technical testing and analysis (2,600 employees).

The main sub-sectors in terms of number of businesses were:

Sewage and refuse disposal etc (567 businesses).
Technical testing and analysis (311 businesses).
Demolition and wrecking of buildings (245 businesses).
Recycling of non-metal waste and scrap (134 businesses).
Manufacture of ventilation equipment (118 businesses).

The top Local Authority Areas (LAs), in terms of numbers of Environmental Technology businesses located within them, included:

Devon: (307 businesses). 98% of businesses (302 businesses) had less than 100 employees. The main industries in this LA were sewage and refuse disposal (84 businesses), technical testing and analysis (51 businesses) and collection/purification of water (41 businesses).
Somerset: (218 businesses). 99% of businesses (216 businesses) had less than 100 employees. The main industries in this LA also included sewage and refuse disposal (91 businesses), demolition and wrecking of buildings (30 businesses) and technical testing and analysis (23 businesses).
Gloucestershire: (199 businesses). 97% of businesses (194) had less than 100 employees. The main industries in this LA included sewage and refuse disposal (51 businesses), technical testing and analysis (37 businesses), demolition and wrecking of buildings (22 businesses), manufacture of electrical distribution apparatus (21 businesses) and recycling of metal waste and scrap (21 businesses).
Cornwall: (197 businesses). 99% of businesses (195) had less than 100 employees. The main industries in this LA included sewage and refuse disposal (72 businesses), demolition and wrecking of buildings (28 businesses) and technical testing and analysis (23 businesses).

Major employers

Click here to see the major environmental technology employers in the South West.

(Simply tick 'Evironmental Technologies' under Industry sector and hit 'search'. This will bring up a list and profile of the major environmental technology employers in the region).

The Regen SW Jobs Board also lists a number of vacancies in this sector.

Job roles in this sector

Explore scientific service job roles in this sector and environment job roles in this sector.

Search for jobs now!

Skills deficits

The Sector Skills Council that represents the Environmental Technologies sector is called Energy and Utility Skills, and it represents the electricity, gas, waste management and water industries.

Skills gaps or shortages provide opportunities for graduates to fill! Talk to your tutor or careers service about how you can develop skills that are in short supply to give yourself the edge in the job market.

Energy and Utility Skills reported in their 2007 Sector Skills Agreement that 86.4% of businesses in England with vacancies reported a skills shortage vacancy. The more likely occupations in which skills shortages occurred were: