The company has taken on the first 14 trainees aged between 16 and 21 who have little or no qualifications with the view of training them up and paying them while they learn and work.
Over the next five years, Thames Water aims to use the trainee scheme to fill the gap that will be left by the 264 staff in “key operational roles” who will be eligible for retirement.
There will be three intakes per year, with trainees being paired with mentors in the clean water treatment, waste water treatment and water network areas of the business for six months.
The trainees that successfully complete the scheme are set to be offered a permanent job with Thames Water and the opportunity to work towards an industry recognised qualification.
The first group will be working in the wastewater treatment area, with a second group in March working on clean water treatment, and a third intake of trainees in April working on the water network.
Thames water chief executive Martin Baggs said: “Bringing in new talent now is important as we need an army of operational staff ready to take over from those who will inevitably retire in the years to come.
“They hold a wealth of knowledge and we can’t afford for them to go without passing that on to the next generation.
“We hope our trainees will soak up as much as possible of their experience in the coming months with a view to achieving the ultimate goal of a permanent role with us.”