Lack of skills ‘big constraint’ to resource management

Speaking at a keynote seminar on waste policy in Westminster this morning, Paul Levett – who recently stepped down from his post as deputy chief executive of Veolia Environmental Services – said that the industry has to “catch up to get the right talent, people and skills it needs”.

Levett spoke of how the waste sector is increasingly adopting hi-tech treatment technologies in its quest to divert material from landfill, and that these advancements in processing require a high knowledge of certain disciplines, such as science and engineering.

He said that the waste sector was becoming more appealing as a career choice, but that it was some way behind other industries in terms of recruiting a higher skills-base, particularly in management.

Since leaving his post at Veolia, Levett has set up his own company, Waste Transition, to provide non-executive and advisory services to organisations planning waste developments or funding.

Maxine Perella