Energy from Waste Careers: A People Powered Profile with Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh shares his journey from mechanical apprentice to operations management, offering a first-hand look at EFW operator jobs and the wider Energy from Waste sector.

He highlights the sector’s growing skills shortage, rising demand for operators and technicians, and the importance of apprenticeships.

With experience across biomass and power generation projects, he provides practical advice for engineers entering the industry and emphasises long-term career development.

In this People Powered Profile, Kevin Over, Commercial Director at Astute, speaks with Mike Leigh, Assistant Operations Manager at Lakeside Energy from Waste. Mike shares insights into his engineering career, the evolution of the Energy from Waste (EFW) sector, and the growing demand for EFW operator jobs.

Career Journey Into EFW Operator Jobs

“My engineering career began in 2005 when I started a mechanical apprenticeship for Hamworthy Combustion Engineering.

“I worked there for more than 12 years in various roles and was fortunate enough to travel the world and work in lots of interesting places.

“I worked at Thames Water in Strategic Pumping for three years, while there, I worked with some great people and for some great managers who gave me the opportunity to expand on my engineering knowledge with lots of training and support.

“I now work in operations for Lakeside Energy from Waste, this has been an entirely different challenge for me as the role involves more people management and involvement in the daily operation of the plant.

“There are a lot of smart and talented people here at Lakeside EFW who are helping me to learn and grow into this role.”

Key Power Generation Projects

“I worked as a Projects Engineer on the light-up burner upgrade at Drax Power station.

“I was working for Hamworthy Combustion at the time, and we had won the contract to upgrade the light-up burners on boilers 1, 2 and 3.

“This work was being done as part of the switch from coal to biomass at Drax.”

How the Power Industry Has Evolved

“I don’t think the industry has changed much in the time that I have been working in it.

“Obviously, the power sources have changed and continue to change in terms of scale.

“The biggest change I would say is more on the public perception and awareness of power generation and where the electricity that is powering their homes is coming from.”

Skills Shortage Affecting EFW Operator Jobs

“I believe the biggest issue facing the industry is the skills shortage, in terms of trades Mechanical, Electrical, C&I etc.

“It’s almost cliché at this point to say it, but there are not enough of the skilled people required to maintain these plants on a day-to-day basis or during outages.

“I am optimistic that the tide will turn, and it will become attractive enough to draw people back into the trades.

“I’m a big advocate for apprenticeships and I hope that industry demand will continue to drive employment of apprentices in trades.” Our guide to apprenticeship recruitment myths covers many of the misconceptions holding candidates back from routes like Mike’s.

In-Demand EFW Operator Jobs in the Power Sector

“Operators, Shift Technicians, the people that run the plant.

“I am talking from the energy from waste point of view.

“There are more EFW plants than there are people that have experience operating them and this is problematic for the existing EFW operators and the new plants that are currently being built or starting commissioning.

“However, it’s good if you’re an experienced operator in the EFW business as your value is going up daily at the moment.”

What Makes a Career in Energy Rewarding?

“The challenges that you are faced with change regularly and the projects that you get involved with are always different.

“This keeps the work interesting and helps to enhance your knowledge in areas that you may not have been familiar with before.

“My personal experience working for Lakeside has been good and I feel privileged to have been given to opportunity to work here.”

Career Advice for Engineers Entering the Sector

“Get chartered.

“I still would like to get chartered, and I feel it would be the cherry on the cake of my career.

“I’m still working on it but I’m sure it would’ve been easier if I had started earlier in my career.”

Get Involved in Our People Powered Profile Series

Would you like to share your engineering career story and gain visibility in the energy sector?

Connect with our team to be featured in an upcoming People Powered Profile and showcase your experience in power generation, renewables, or nuclear. If you’re exploring EFW operator jobs yourself, browse our energy from waste recruitment guide or view current power generation vacancies.