Water Minister hails United Utilities’ award-winning training academy

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, Water Minister Emma Hardy toured United Utilities’ state of the art technical training academy in Bolton meeting dozens of trainees embarking on careers in the water sector.

The company is hiring a record number of apprentices this year in a variety of skilled roles and the Minister met current and former apprentices to hear about their experiences.  

Last year, the training academy celebrated its 10th anniversary and since opening, more than 400 apprentices from across the North West have received training at the specially designed site.

As United Utilities undertakes the biggest upgrade of water and wastewater infrastructure for more than a century, the company is hiring more than 100 apprentices this year.  

The award-winning apprenticeship programme allows students at the site to sample some of the tasks they will face out in the network as the facility boasts six interactive training rooms as well as dedicated practical training areas for all the technical disciplines.  This includes a simulation sewer environment for confined spaces training, more than 30 metres of pressured water pipework, live electrical and chlorine rigs and a replica water treatment works.

Water Minister Hardy said: "We’re driving the biggest overhaul of the water sector since privatisation and that means we need skilled people able to deliver on record investment.

"It’s been incredible to meet apprentices in Bolton who are at the forefront of delivering the change our water system needs.

 "Facilities like United Utilities’ training academy are exactly how we create the skilled workforce we need to upgrade our water infrastructure for generations to come."

Jacqueline Kawczak, Senior Education Lead at United Utilities, said: “It was an honour to be able to welcome the Minister to our training facilities here in Bolton.  Our investment programme is supporting 30,000 jobs across the North West.  Taking on more apprentices than ever before ensures that we are building a work force to help us deliver that programme and this dedicated facility allows us to train students to the highest possible standard, and importantly retain key talent and skills in the region.”

United Utilities was the first water company to deliver the Water Industry Apprenticeship Standards at its Bolton academy. The site has an achievement rate of over 82 per cent, compared to the national average of 54 per cent.

Opportunities are available across a wide range of roles spanning operations, water quality, digital technologies to engineering and electrical.  Deadline for applications is 23 February 2026, but applicants are encouraged to apply early as some roles may close sooner.

For more details about apprenticeships at UU, visit: United Utilities - Apprenticeships