Delivering vital infrastructure is only possible through close collaboration on a truly epic scale. Bricklayers, software engineers, artists, crane drivers, architects, miners – the list goes on, but the range of skills required is often so broad and so deep that it represents a microcosm of the economy at large. Investing in largescale infrastructure, therefore, leaves society not only with a new bridge, or a new train station – but with skilled individuals. A typical project will take on a bright young apprentice; train them through a mix of formalised learning and on-the-job experience; and instil the highest standards before sending them out into wider society to apply their skills and talents elsewhere. Projects are not just an investment in infrastructure, they are an investment in people.
The Tideway project is no different. London’s new super-sewer (now operational after eight years of construction) required a huge diversity of talent – all driving at the same objective: improve the health of the River Thames. The problem the project solves is, on face value, simple: divert sewage spills away from the Thames for treatment. This has been achieved following the construction of the deepest tunnel in London – seven metres in diameter and wider than the EastEnders title card.
However, one of the things that made the Tideway project unique – and why obtaining enough people with the right skills became a challenge – was Tideway’s proximity to the river. With two dozen construction sites in London, and many set on the banks of the River Thames, Tideway made the decision to utilise the river as a transport artery as much as possible. This meant more than doubling the number of major freight movements on the Thames – from 12 a day in 2012 to around 30 at peak construction (in 2019). This decision would lead to fewer HGVs on London’s road network and a lower impact on air quality.
But it also meant we needed to revolutionise the river economy. Before work began, the skills base to achieve these objectives, and to use the river on that scale, simply did not exist. In-depth studies of river logistics on the Thames found that the general level of training and standards of competence were insufficient to meet these goals. Of course, there were highly professional, well-run outfits operating on the Thames. But it was clear we would need to do more. This is where the Thames Skills Academy comes in. Tideway sought to collate the existing Thames freight standards into a Code of Marine Practice, which included the International Safety Management standards already adopted by Thames high-speed passenger operators. We required our main works contractors and marine contractors to comply with these high standards. We created a digital facsimile of the River Thames at the UK Ship Simulation Centre – where every master and mate who wanted to work on the Tideway project had to undertake a rigorous crisis management and assessment course before getting their ticket to start work.
And, working with the Port of London Authority (PLA), TfL, the Company of Watermen and Lightermen and several major river operators, we created the Thames Skills Academy (TSA). Since 2016, this new training body has been supporting Tideway and the wider sector with training and apprenticeship programmes to raise standards across the industry.
The TSA developed the only port-wide continuous professional development (CPD) programme in the UK. For the first time, all masters responsible for a vessel on the tidal Thames have to undertake a minimum level of training every year. The CPD programme, regulated by the PLA, allows masters and mates to focus on ever higher standards, paving the way for better, safer delivery of infrastructure on or near water.
In addition, the TSA developed the country’s first bespoke training programme for non-maritime staff working near rivers. With sites on the River Thames, Tideway project workers could be exposed to unfamiliar risks – high tide movements, strong currents, cold water shock. The TSA’s Riverside Personal Safety training course aims to raise awareness of these risks, and train participants in how to respond if and when things go wrong. To date, more than 1,700 people have been through the training – and in 2022, the programme won the prestigious Princess Royal City & Guilds Award. The course, initially set up to train Tideway staff, is now the new norm for all major construction projects on and alongside the River Thames.
The TSA also set up the National Boatmaster Apprenticeship to bring young people to work on the river. Before Tideway, there was an 85 per cent failure rate for those taking Boatmaster exams with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Now in its fifth year, the £25,000 apprenticeship is the biggest trainer of Boatmasters in the UK – and the pass rate of apprentices taking the Boatmaster exams is 94. This has been essential in attracting a young and diverse cohort into this niche sector.
To date, Tideway has helped to fund 70 river apprentices through the TSA, while the project has moved almost six million tonnes of material as part of its works. The Thames Skills Academy represents a new high bar for logistics training on the River Thames – and the fact that 70 per cent of Thames operators are now TSA members is testament to its success. New riparian developments, whether led by local authorities or by private enterprise, must now build on the super-sewer’s legacy and take the opportunity to utilise this rich pool of talent. Tideway and the TSA have shown that river logistics is about more than cutting road congestion and reducing the impact on air pollution; it’s an investment in the future.
Infrastructure projects are delivered by people and for people. And when skilled individuals collaborate toward a common goal employing high standards, the legacy is felt far beyond the core unit of infrastructure. For the Tideway project in London, the legacy is not just a cleaner River Thames but a revitalised river economy with higher maritime standards across the board, set to benefit the city for generations to come.
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