For employers, the apprenticeship offers a structured way to bring new talent into the sector, ensuring that the skills base needed for future river restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and flood risk management is being built now. For Alec Richardson, director of Number Nine Solutions, the decision was clear. He said: “Our work depends on rivers that are healthy, resilient, and well-managed.
“By taking on a Riverlution apprentice, we’re not only supporting the skills and career development of a young professional, but also making sure our business is equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
“Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of combining structured training with real-world experience, and we’re proud to be one of the first employers to step forward. Riverlution’s Water Environment Worker Apprenticeships are open to employers across the region, with delivery beginning in October 2025. For Alec and his team, this is the start of something bigger
Number Nine Solutions leads the way with Riverlution’s new Water Environment Worker Apprenticeship.
Number Nine Solutions has become one of the first employers in Lincolnshire to take on a Water Environment Worker (WEW) Apprentice with Riverlution, a move that highlights both its commitment to developing early careers and its investment in the future of our waterways.
The Water Environment Worker Apprenticeship is designed to equip the next generation of practitioners with the technical skills, ecological knowledge, and practical experience needed to restore and protect rivers, combat and respond to flooding and work with volunteers and other users of the nation's rivers.