Skills eFlash #144 New
Date: 27-Apr-2026
In this edition: WIOA Operator Awards | HPWJ Training | Australian Water Awards Finalist Announcement | Queensland Water Careers Fact Sheet | Say What You Are Campaign and more...
Next WSP Meeting
Welcome to the April edition of the Water Skills Partnership eFlash, We are looking forward to connecting with WSP members at the next Water Skills Partnership meeting on 14 May. Please let Sarah know if you would like to add anything to the agenda.
Call for nominations: WIOA Queensland Operator Awards
qldwater is proud to sponsor two operator awards at the annual WIOA Queensland Conference and is calling on managers and supervisors to nominate outstanding team members from across the state.
There have been some important updates to the awards this year:
- Queensland New Operator of the Year Award (formerly Young Operator of the Year)
This change allows newcomers to the industry to be recognised regardless of age. The award celebrates emerging professionals who demonstrate enthusiasm, commitment to learning, innovation, leadership and fresh perspectives early in their water operations career. - Queensland Operator of the Year Award
qldwater has also taken on sponsorship of the Operator of the Year Award, instead of the former Civil/Allrounder category which no longer exists. This award recognises operators of water or wastewater treatment facilities who demonstrate excellent performance, initiative, and strong all-round attention to detail in their day-to-day operations.
Recognition starts with a nomination. Shine a spotlight on the people making a real difference in Queensland’s water industry.
Nominations close on 3 June.
HPWJ Training
Over the past year, qldwater has coordinated High Pressure Water Jetting (HPWJ) training across Queensland and identified ongoing confusion about training requirements. In some cases, workers are undertaking training that is not fit for purpose, creating serious safety and compliance risks.
HPWJ is classified by Safe Work Australia as a high risk activity and must be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation and aligned with Australian Standard AS 4233. Incorrect or insufficient training increases the risk of equipment failures, unsafe work practices and exposure to serious injury for workers and the public. Common issues include inadequate emergency controls, unsafe access chamber management, missing exclusion signage, incorrect or damaged equipment, inappropriate PPE, unsafe hose configurations, and operational shortcuts driven by limited understanding of safe exemption requirements.
To protect staff, contractors and communities, and to meet regulatory obligations, it is critical that HPWJ work is undertaken by personnel with the correct nationally recognised training, including the MSMSS00019 – Operate a Drain Cleaning System skill set.
The next qldwater coordinated HPWJ training is planned for Longreach in June. To register your interest or to get advice on appropriate training pathways, please contact Sarah Henry.
Australian Water Awards – Finalist Announcement
qldwater is proud to be a finalist in the Water Industry Safety Excellence Award at the Australian Water Awards, recognising our Grey Card – Asbestos Awareness Training. Winners will be announced at the Ozwater’26 Gala Dinner on 27 May in Brisbane.
The Australian Water Awards celebrate excellence across the sector, recognising leadership and innovation that support a safer, more sustainable and resilient water industry. We’re pleased to be acknowledged alongside so many outstanding initiatives.
Queensland Water Careers Resources
qldwater, through the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor and in partnership with the Australian Water Association (AWA), has released a new fact sheet designed to help open the door to water careers.
The guide provides practical tips to help water businesses connect with schools and introduce young people to career opportunities in the industry. It includes a simple employer checklist and links to a wide range of supporting resources—from podcasts and videos to interactive web content.
Download the fact sheet from the Careers Toolbox
Water Industry Supervisor Essentials (WISE) Course
qldwater is developing a new training course for water and wastewater supervisors, with Water Industry Supervisor Essentials (WISE) due to be available early in the next financial year.
This two day, face to face course is designed to reflect the real world challenges of council and utility operations. It will build capability in leading crews across water and wastewater services, managing incidents and emergencies, overseeing network and plant operations, and strengthening safety, risk management and decision making skills in high risk environments.
We are now seeking expressions of interest from those who may like to participate in the course. To register your interest or request further information, please contact Sarah Henry.
Say What You Are Campaign
The 2026 Census is on 11 August, and how our workforce describes what they do will directly shape how the water sector is represented in national data.
Right now, too many of our people are being counted under broad or unrelated job categories — not because the work isn’t there, but because of how it’s described.
“Operator” instead of Water Treatment Plant Operator
“Technician” instead of Water Network Maintenance Technician
“Plumber” instead of a water utility role
Small wording changes can mean the difference between being counted… or being invisible.
The qldwater Say What You Are campaign is about helping our workforce clearly describe the job they do, the systems they work on and the services they support. This is about better data, stronger advocacy, and making sure our sector is seen for what it truly is.
Download the campaign materials here.
Ozwater ’26: Test a Flood Resilience Training Game
If you’re heading to Ozwater this year, we invite you to take part in an interactive workshop focused on building community resilience to extreme weather events, and to explore how a practical learning game could be adapted for use with your own staff or local communities.
The workshop titled “Ready for Floods? A Game of Community Resilience” will be facilitated by the AWA Water Literacy & Education and Regional, Rural and Remote Water Specialist Networks at 10.50 am on Wednesday, 27 May in Room P10 — AWA Specialist Network Feature.
The session introduces a hands on, game based learning activity that explores two key concepts essential to the water sector:
- Preparedness — planning, training and coordination to prevent, respond to and recover from extreme events
- Resilience — the capacity of communities and services to absorb disruption, adapt and recover
The game materials will be made available via the AWA Water Literacy Specialist Network educational toolbox, allowing organisations to modify and use the activity as a workforce development or community engagement tool. This workshop provides a valuable opportunity to test the game, understand how it works, and see how it could be applied in your own context.
The workshop will also be delivered to two school groups on Thursday, 28 May, for those interested in seeing how the game works with a school audience and how it supports water literacy and resilience education.
Water Skills Partnership members attending Ozwater ’26 are encouraged to consider how this practical learning activity could complement internal training, community preparedness programs or school engagement initiatives. Contact Des Gralton for more information.