Example · fictional organisation · Public water authority · Spain · 140 staff
Consorcio de Aguas del Valle Alto
Running pumping stations and treatment plants by remote control, meeting cyber security duties as an essential service, and replacing plant operators and electricians who retire.
The organisation and its numbers are made up, to show what goes in and what comes out. Dates are set as if it were filled in this quarter.
What they entered
Everything the form asked, step by step. About ten minutes of answers, with no names of staff.
Step 1: Your company
Another EU country (Spain) · 140 staff · Water supply and treatment (public)
Step 2: Your plan
- Automate part of our work: Remote control of pumping stations and plants · working by Q4 2027
- Meet a new rule or standard: NIS2 cyber security duties · working by Q2 2027
- Replace people who will retire or leave
Step 3: Your teams
Team Closest occupation People 55 or older Know-how held by one person Hard to find Needed in 1 / 3 years Plant operators Incinerator and water treatment plant operators (3132) 38 12 No Yes same / same Maintenance electricians Electrical mechanics and fitters (7412) 16 5 No Yes same / same Pipe network crews Plumbers and pipe fitters (7126) 40 9 No No same / same Engineers Civil engineers (2142) 8 2 No Yes same / same Customer and billing office Contact centre information clerks (4222) 24 4 No No same / same IT and control systems Information and communications technology operations technicians (3511) 3 not asked Yes Yes same / same Step 4: What the plan needs from each team
Team Remote control of pumping stations and plants NIS2 cyber security duties Replace people who will retire or leave Plant operators Can't happen without Helps Needed Maintenance electricians Can't happen without — Needed Pipe network crews — — Needed Engineers Needed — — Customer and billing office — — — IT and control systems Needed Can't happen without — Step 5–6: New skills, and who can already do them
Skill For Team People Needed by Can already Partly Operating the plants by remote control Remote control of pumping stations and plants Plant operators 12 Q4 2027 0 4 Maintaining the remote control systems Remote control of pumping stations and plants Maintenance electricians 6 Q4 2027 1 2 Managing cyber security for the control systems NIS2 cyber security duties IT and control systems 3 Q2 2027 0 1 Step 7: Stress test and assumptions
Hiring takes twice as long. Some assumptions changed.
What they got
Example · Consorcio de Aguas del Valle Alto · Another EU country · 140 staff · calculated Q4 2026
Your plan needs 8 actions to start this quarter, 1 of them already late.
- Automate part of our work: Remote control of pumping stations and plants · Q4 2027
- Meet a new rule or standard: NIS2 cyber security duties · Q2 2027
- Replace people who will retire or leave
How sure: 1 sure, 8 fairly sure, 10 unsure. Each action says which of its numbers are assumptions you can change.
What must start when
Everything that has to start within the next twelve months.
Show the roadmap as a table
| Action | Needed | Takes | Start by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managing cyber security for the control systems: train 2 new to it | Q2 2027 | 3 quarters | Q3 2026 | late by 1 quarter; borrow help Q2 2027 to Q3 2027 |
| Plan hand-overs before retirements in Plant operators | now | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 4 for Plant operators | Q4 2027 | 4 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Plan hand-overs before retirements in Maintenance electricians | now | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 2 for Maintenance electricians | Q4 2027 | 4 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 1 for Engineers | Q4 2027 | 4 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Pass on the know-how only one person in IT and control systems has | now | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Managing cyber security for the control systems: train 1 who can partly do it | Q2 2027 | 2 quarters | Q4 2026 | start this quarter |
| Hire 4 for Pipe network crews | Q4 2027 | 3 quarters | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Operating the plants by remote control: train 8 new to it | Q4 2027 | 3 quarters | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Maintaining the remote control systems: train 3 new to it | Q4 2027 | 3 quarters | Q1 2027 | start by Q1 2027 |
| Operating the plants by remote control: train 4 who can partly do it | Q4 2027 | 2 quarters | Q2 2027 | start by Q2 2027 |
| Maintaining the remote control systems: train 2 who can partly do it | Q4 2027 | 2 quarters | Q2 2027 | start by Q2 2027 |
Each action, and how we worked it out
- late by 1 quarter; borrow help Q2 2027 to Q3 2027
Managing cyber security for the control systems: train 2 new to it
IT and control systems · Train · unsure
Needed Q2 2027 − 3 quarters to train = start Q3 2026: late by 1, borrow help until Q3 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 3
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 0
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q2 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone new to it
- 3 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Plan hand-overs before retirements in Plant operators
Plant operators · Pass on know-how · fairly sure
Needed as soon as possible: start now, 2 quarters of overlap
How we worked this out
- Aged 55 or older
- 12 of 38
- Your answer
- Overlap needed to pass on know-how
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Hire 4 for Plant operators
Plant operators · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 38
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 38 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 3.0 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 1.0 (12 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in a year
- 34.0 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Plan hand-overs before retirements in Maintenance electricians
Maintenance electricians · Pass on know-how · fairly sure
Needed as soon as possible: start now, 2 quarters of overlap
How we worked this out
- Aged 55 or older
- 5 of 16
- Your answer
- Overlap needed to pass on know-how
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Hire 2 for Maintenance electricians
Maintenance electricians · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 16
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 16 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 1.3 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.4 (5 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in a year
- 14.3 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Hire 1 for Engineers
Engineers · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 8
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 8 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 0.6 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.2 (2 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in a year
- 7.2 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Pass on the know-how only one person in IT and control systems has
IT and control systems · Pass on know-how · fairly sure
Needed as soon as possible: start now, 2 quarters of overlap
How we worked this out
- Know-how held by one person
- yes
- Your answer
- Overlap needed to pass on know-how
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start this quarter
Managing cyber security for the control systems: train 1 who can partly do it
IT and control systems · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q2 2027 − 2 quarters to train = start Q4 2026
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 3
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 0
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q2 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone who can partly do it
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Hire 4 for Pipe network crews
Pipe network crews · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2027 − 3 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 40
- Your answer
- Needed in a year
- 40 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 3.2 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.8 (9 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in a year
- 36.0 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Operating the plants by remote control: train 8 new to it
Plant operators · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q4 2027 − 3 quarters to train = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 12
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 0
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 4
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q4 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone new to it
- 3 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2027
Maintaining the remote control systems: train 3 new to it
Maintenance electricians · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q4 2027 − 3 quarters to train = start Q1 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 6
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 2
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q4 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone new to it
- 3 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q2 2027
Operating the plants by remote control: train 4 who can partly do it
Plant operators · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q4 2027 − 2 quarters to train = start Q2 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 12
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 0
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 4
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q4 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone who can partly do it
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q2 2027
Maintaining the remote control systems: train 2 who can partly do it
Maintenance electricians · Train · fairly sure
Needed Q4 2027 − 2 quarters to train = start Q2 2027
How we worked this out
- People who need it
- 6
- Your answer
- Can already do it
- 1
- Your answer
- Can partly do it
- 2
- Your answer
- Needed by
- Q4 2027
- Your answer
- Time to train someone who can partly do it
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: fairly sure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
Later: 5 actions starting in a year or more
- start by Q4 2028
Hire 8 more for Plant operators by year three
Plant operators · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2028
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 38
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 38 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 3.0 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 1.0 (12 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in three years
- 25.9 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q4 2028
Hire 3 more for Maintenance electricians by year three
Maintenance electricians · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2028
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 16
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 16 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 1.3 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.4 (5 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in three years
- 10.9 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q4 2028
Hire 1 more for Engineers by year three
Engineers · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2028
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 8
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 8 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 0.6 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.2 (2 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in three years
- 5.6 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q4 2028
Hire 1 more for IT and control systems by year three
IT and control systems · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 4 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q4 2028
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 3
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 3 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 0.2 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Expected in three years
- 2.3 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Extra hiring time where people are hard to find
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
- Hard to hire for
- yes
- Your answer
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
- start by Q1 2029
Hire 8 more for Pipe network crews by year three
Pipe network crews · Hire · unsure
Needed Q4 2029 − 3 quarters to hire and get up to speed = start Q1 2029
How we worked this out
- People in the team today
- 40
- Your answer
- Needed in three years
- 40 (about the same as today)
- Assumption
- Leaving each year
- 3.2 (8% a year)
- Assumption
- Retiring each year
- 0.8 (9 aged 55+ over 12 years)
- Your answer
- Expected in three years
- 28.1 people
- Assumption
- Time to hire
- 2 quarters
- Assumption
- Time for a new hire to become productive
- 1 quarters
- Assumption
How sure: unsure. Sure means no assumptions were used; fairly sure, one or two; unsure, three or more, or a late date that rests on one.
Who could pay or help: EURES and your public employment service, we have not mapped funding routes for your country yet. (checked September 2026; confirm with the scheme)
Already in place
- Maintaining the remote control systems: 1 person in Maintenance electricians can already do this. Use them first.
Stress test: hiring takes twice as long
- Hire 4 for Plant operators: late by 2 quarters instead of starting now.
- Hire 2 for Maintenance electricians: late by 2 quarters instead of starting now.
- Hire 4 for Pipe network crews: late by 1 quarter instead of starting by Q1 2027.
- Hire 1 for Engineers: late by 2 quarters instead of starting now.
Your teams
Plant operators
CriticalISCO-08 3132 · Incinerator and water treatment plant operators
- Your plan can't happen without this team (Remote control of pumping stations and plants).
- 12 of 38 are 55 or older.
- You said people for this team are hard to find.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
Maintenance electricians
CriticalISCO-08 7412 · Electrical mechanics and fitters
- Your plan can't happen without this team (Remote control of pumping stations and plants).
- 5 of 16 are 55 or older.
- You said people for this team are hard to find.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
Pipe network crews
ImportantISCO-08 7126 · Plumbers and pipe fitters
- Your plan needed this team (replacing leavers).
- 9 of 40 are 55 or older.
Engineers
CriticalISCO-08 2142 · Civil engineers
- Your plan needed this team (Remote control of pumping stations and plants).
- 2 of 8 are 55 or older.
- You said people for this team are hard to find.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
IT and control systems
CriticalISCO-08 3511 · Information and communications technology operations technicians
- Your plan can't happen without this team (NIS2 cyber security duties).
- Only one person knows how to do something critical here.
- You said people for this team are hard to find.
Where new equipment or AI frees up time in this team, use it first to hire fewer people later, then to retrain. This roadmap never suggests cutting jobs.
Considered, no actions: Customer and billing office (not needed for this plan).
Assumptions used
| Assumption | Value | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| People leaving each year, other than retirementAssumption, not data. Use your own figure if you know it. | 8 | Assumption |
| Usual retirement ageGeneral default; set your country's age. | 67 | Your answer |
| Time to train someone who can partly do itAssumption. Time until they can do the work to the standard needed, not course length. | 2 | Assumption |
| Time to train someone new to itAssumption. Time until they can do the work to the standard needed. | 3 | Assumption |
| Time to hireAssumption. From deciding to hire to the person starting. | 2 | Assumption |
| Time for a new hire to become productiveAssumption. | 1 | Assumption |
| Extra hiring time where people are hard to findAssumption, applied where you said a team is hard to hire for. | 1 | Assumption |
| Overlap needed to pass on know-howAssumption. | 2 | Assumption |