Water and waste management and the environment

Water management personnel engaged in drinking and waste water management, waste management personnel engaged in collection, sorting, recovery, treatment and deposition of waste, e...

The number of employees in water and waste management and environmental management and protection is influenced by technological development, digitalisation and state reform, on the one hand, and green and circular economy, which is accompanied by environmental change, on the other hand.

The number of jobs in environmental management and protection as a whole does not increase in general, but environmental specialists and technologists and environmental consultants are needed in the future, as environmental requirements for entrepreneurship tighten and the responsibility for environmental management also moves more into the private sector. The shortage is known to hydrologists, as this field of study cannot be studied in Estonia.

As the circular economy develops, the importance and complexity of waste management is increasing, so is the number of jobs of waste management managers and machine and bench operators, as the volume of work related to materials and recycling increases. At the same time, there are not enough graduates with appropriate education to start working as a machine and bench operator. In addition, there is an acute problem of the shortage of garbage drivers.

In water management, the need for water supply and sewerage engineers, water treatment operators and water supply and sewerage locksmiths is growing, as it is necessary to replace retired workers. There is a shortage of water treatment operators and water locksmiths who have completed up-to-date training.