SOCOTEC encourages further investment in Ground Investigation talent pipeline
Testing, inspection and certification leader, SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, is calling for further investment into the country’s geoscience and ground investigation sectors, with a potentially severe skills shortage impacting the future of the industry.
With major infrastructure projects accelerating across the country, the industry is faced with the stark reality that its workforce is aging, without sufficient new talent entering the field.
SOCOTEC has led the charge in addressing this crisis, with focus placed on developing the next generation of geoscientists through the Level 7 MSc apprenticeship programme, alongside the Level 6 Geoscience route, and creation of our own Ground Investigation (GI) Engineer Academy.
Melody Wareing is a Technical Manager within SOCOTEC’s Infrastructure division and was part of the firm’s inaugural Level 7 cohort four years ago: “We have committed ourselves to developing our talented team, and had someone in every year of the Level 7 MSc apprenticeship programme since it began running.”
Those others within SOCOTEC who have been involved in the Level 7 apprenticeship programme have nothing but praise, when asked about the course, Rebecca Fryer, Principal Geotechnical Engineer at SOCOTEC, said: “As someone who stumbled into the industry later in life, this course has been instrumental in my career progression. It has given me the necessary tools and knowledge to develop my skill set.”
Ian Campbell, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, is another course participant: “The depth of understanding achieved in quite a small period of time, of things I already have some familiarity with is great, but we are always looking to expand our areas of knowledge and the variety of knowledge coming directly from the course covering areas new to me is impressive.”
Reporting Geologist, Kamil Kosiorek, added: “The L7 has been a great experience for me. It gave me an opportunity to broaden my geotechnical engineering skills and knowledge at an unprecedented rate. Over a span of just a few weeks, I have learnt what would likely take years to pick up in my job role alone, simply because we are fulfilling specialist roles and do not have a very wide exposure to the industry as a whole. These are invaluable skills to have, as they help me better understand our client’s and contractor’s requirements and frustrations.”
Ross Lawton, SOCOTEC’s Principal Geotechnical Engineer, said: “The Level 7 for me has been instrumental for bridging that gap between my practical experience of geotechnical engineering, both on site and my visual understanding of materials and their behaviour to that of the calculated reality. This gap has allowed to me to understand these mechanisms in a way that is invaluable and being able to complete this alongside my professional career is ideal.”
It is also a topic of discussion both Melody and other colleagues within the field have discussed extensively within a recent Geoscientist article, as the sector looks to the future of its workforce, with more questions than answers.
The Level 7 apprenticeship programme represents a gold standard in technical education, combining academic knowhow with practical experience. For the geotechnical engineering sector, these programmes have been invaluable in creating pathways for career changers and school leavers alike to enter a profession they might never have considered.
However, a recent government policy change undermines SOCOTEC’s model for success, with apprenticeship levy rules having been amended to restrict Level 7 programmes to candidates under the age of 22. For an industry that has successfully recruited mature career changers and graduates seeking to upskill, this restriction is devastating.
As a result of the government’s new legislation, we're not going to be able to send anyone else on it, simply because they won't meet the criteria, which is very frustrating.
This policy fails to recognise the reality of geoscience career paths. Many individuals discover their passion for geology, hydrogeology, or engineering geology later in their educational journey or through career transitions. By closing this avenue, the government has inadvertently narrowed the already-limited talent funnel into the profession.
A lot of the people who were, and still are big names in the industry, are close to retirement age, and still working because they love it - but there are not enough people coming up to replace them.
There's historically underfunding in the sciences, links with schools, as a STEM activity. Several generations have come through without actually being aware that a lot of these roles exist.
Ground investigation, engineering geology, and applied geoscience simply don't feature in most young people's career horizons. Unlike medicine, law, or engineering, these fields lack visibility in school career guidance. Many university geology programmes have closed or merged, further reducing access points to the profession.
However, it is not all doom and gloom, SOCOTEC has several initiatives to help spread awareness and create pathways into the profession:
- Industry professionals are volunteering as STEM ambassadors, visiting schools to demonstrate the exciting, varied work geoscientists undertake - from drilling investigations to contaminated land remediation to infrastructure design.
- SOCOTEC is also maintaining connections with academic institutions, delivering guest lectures at universities to ensure students understand real-world applications of their studies and the career opportunities available[MW1] .
- The Ground Investigation team is also offering work placements gives students hands-on experience, demystifying the profession and providing a pathway from education to employment, we have done through partnership with the University of Portsmouth.
The geoscience talent crisis will not resolve itself. It requires sustained commitment from industry, supportive policy from government, and creative thinking from educators. The success stories, like the consistent cohorts progressing through Level 7 apprenticeships, prove that investment in training works. But these isolated successes must become industry-wide norms.
The sector needs the government to reconsider counterproductive age restrictions on technical apprenticeships. It needs more companies to commit resources to school engagement and apprenticeship programmes. It needs professional bodies to champion accessible, practical training pathways. Most importantly, it needs every practitioner to become an ambassador for the profession, sharing their passion with the next generation.
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