National Water Industry Skill Shortage in Coming Decade

According to research conducted by the Australian Water Association, the national water industry in will need to recruit an additional 40,000 people within the next decade in order to ensure Australian households continue receiving clean fresh water. The CEO of the Australian Water Association, Mr Tom Mollenkopf told the launch of National Water Week in Canberra that 80,000 people currently work in the industry, but a large percentage of them are over 50 years of age:

Retirement and normal attrition will see 40,000 vacancies by 2018. The good news, especially for young Australian men and women, is that the water industry will provide diverse opportunities in the professions and trades in both the private and public sectors.

Mr Mollenkopf also launched the H2Oz careers in water campaign to encourage people to both seek and embark on careers in the water sector. The campaign was developed as there is a lack of awareness of the ‘water industry' and the breadth of opportunities it offers to prospective employees. The Australian water industry is grappling with the challenges of securing our future water supply in the face of uncertainty caused by climate change and as a result there are a number of innovations and infrastructure projects. The website will be a one stop shop tailored for the water industry and the community as it will include: education/course information, recruitment system, career pathways, organisation case studies and employee testimonials as well as news and events. Candidates can also apply for positions or register online to receive job alerts and career events in their area. Tom Mollenkopf said of H2Oz:

Securing our water future is a challenge; a challenge that must be faced by a robust, talented and inspired workforce. Ensuring this is the ambitious, but we think attainable, goal of the H2Oz campaign, and I look forward to seeing it achieve great things.

Concerns about the skills shortage in the industry has also been the focus of a number of efforts of the National Water Commission, who identify this as a key constraint on growth and change in the sector. Their own research echoes the position of the AWA, suggesting that although 50% of all water utilities staff will retire over the next 5-10 years, projected industry replacement rates fall sharply below the numbers required. In March 2008, the NWC convened a National Water Industry Skills Forum in association with the Australian Water Association (AWA) and the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). This forum, which brought together more than 80 water sector leaders, led to the establishment of a Water Industry Skills Taskforce, and was the impetus for the establishment of the the H2Oz concept.