Bridging the Skills Gaps for Flood Resilience and Climate Readiness
The Blue Green Infrastructure Training Programme (formerly known as SCRIMP) , is part of the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme (WYFLIP) and aims to address the pressing need for enhanced skills and capacities in flood risk management and climate resilience across Yorkshire.
The Board members of the WYFLIP secured £286,293 in levy funding from the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (YRFCC). This funding serves to address emerging demands, mitigate associated risks, and ensure the continued management of the WYFLIP Programme for the next two years.
The project aims to address a critical capacity and skills gap risk to deliver flood reduction and resilience benefits in the region (Yorkshire-wide) – specifically Flood and Water Management Act Schedule 3 (SuDS) requirements and green skills associated with climate resilience and readiness. A training programme is being delivered by a team of leading flood and water research, innovation and skills development providers, hosted by water@leeds, at the University of Leeds, working in conjunction with partners across Yorkshire, facilitated through the WYFLIP and iCASP networks. The training programme will upskill those who have a flood risk management role to provide more resilient infrastructure, deliver projects which have a positive impact on the environment and address the challenges of climate change. This will ultimately result in greater support for businesses, landowners and economic benefits for the region and beyond.
Step One – Online Survey and Training Needs Analysis
The project team has met with individuals and small teams from partners across the region to collect more data about key training needs, strengths and weaknesses of existing skills audits and training, and details of important stakeholders to consult with so that an audit could be carried out.
The Training Needs Analysis was aimed at employees in Flood Risk Management Agencies and their partners, to shape the development of the training programme. In addition to identifying training needs, the analysis identified organisational specialisations and training suppliers.
Step Two – Launch the Training Programme
Results were analysed by the project board and implementation group—University of Leeds, Environment Agency (EA), Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) across Yorkshire, Yorkshire Water, and Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission. Based on the analysis, the Blue Green Infrastructure Programme has been created and will be implemented from September 2025 until March 2026.
The training will be targeted initially at staff who work in flood risk management in local authorities across Yorkshire – flood risk managers, highways officers and housing officers. We anticipate at least 150 people will receive training. In the future we will then look at offering the training to local authorities further afield and potentially other groups who may benefit.