The UK’s leading waterways engineering specialist, The Rothen Group, has shared a series of images taken by its employees in celebration of the hidden benefits of working on the waterways network, as it looks to encourage more young people into the sector.
The gallery follows on from a study by The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board which has predicted that by 2026, nearly 20% of the existing UK sector workforce will be near retirement or retired. By sharing images taken by its employees, The Rothen Group is hoping to inspire the next generation of engineers to consider a career working on the waterways to maintain the historic, 200-year-old infrastructure, as another school year soon comes to a close.
The Rothen Group specialises in marine and waterways engineering, with the business playing a critical role in maintaining the network so it can be used as a critical transport route and enjoyed by leisure boaters. Amongst the services it offers include dredging, towpath restoration, piling and specialist floating plant hire.
Alongside proactively maintaining the waterways, the Rothen Group also responds to emergent situations such as a towpath wall collapsing or damage occurring to a lock gate. Its team travel across the country to respond to emergencies, taking them to some of the nation’s most beautiful places.
Working in the great outdoors offers a series of benefits such as increased physical fitness and mental health. Additionally, the Rothen Group team holds a great sense of pride knowing that they are actively ensuring that future generations can enjoy the UK’s canals and waterways.
Ian Rothen, Managing Director at The Rothen Group said: “Working in the engineering sector can be incredibly rewarding with there being so many unique pathways that young people can explore. Day in, day out, we see our team working incredibly hard to ensure that we can provide the canal community with everything they need to safety travel through the system. When we asked them to send us any pictures that they have taken during the workday, we were inundated with their favourite shots.
“To help more individuals enter the waterways industry, we launched an apprenticeship scheme so that young people can work and learn at the same time. Our first apprentice, Lewis, is due to graduate this summer and become a full-time member of our team. Since joining in 2022, Lewis has been able to apply the engineering theory he learned in the classroom in the real world to gain a deeper understanding of its application.
“From removing vegetation to repairing the base of the canal, our team understands the positive impact their work has on maintaining this historic infrastructure. With these images, we hope to celebrate their careers on the waterways and the fantastic work they do.”
The Rothen Group is now calling on other organisations in the waterways engineering industry to follow their example and share images from their own teams to showcase the beauty of a career on the canals.
For more information about the Rothen Group, please visit: therothengroup.co.uk
