qldwater has locked in a three-year agreement with the Queensland Government through the Department of Trade, Employment and Training for the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor (ISJA) Program. This funding means greater support for workforce development, ensuring training aligns with industry needs and future-proofing skills across the sector.
As part of the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024–28, the ISJA Program focuses on strengthening links between government and industry. ISJAs play a critical role in advocating for industry needs and engaging with employers, small businesses and industry stakeholders. They provide high quality, evidence-based insights into Queensland’s labour market, jobs growth and employment opportunities, skills needs and training solutions.
In 2026 the water sector ISJA project will focus on four key areas:
- Cross-sector collaboration
Bringing together employers who work within the same legislative environment including regional councils, small businesses, contractors, resource companies and major tourism and accommodation providers. - Skilling
Developing a shared understanding of skills needs to meet legislative and regulatory requirements and unlock opportunities for businesses to access training for the full range of work at each workplace. - Attraction
Identifying opportunities to broaden the workforce and increase awareness of the sector by young people or those with transferrable skills. - Retention
Complement Attraction activity by identifying and clearly defining the reasons people leave and/or transition to other sectors.
ISJA Attraction Project 1: Data Analysis Report
Released in September 2025, the ISJA Attraction Project 1: Data Analysis Report is a pro-active approach to better align industry experiences with available workforce data, documenting findings to enable industry and government to collaborate on solutions to agreed bottlenecks. The report provides an industry-level analysis of Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) categories and occupation-level analysis of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) framework, identifying a number of opportunities to improve data for the sector.
Queensland Water Industry Reference Group
A reference group has been established to provide a central coordination point to collate, interrogate and validate the industry intelligence which forms the evidence-base of industry skills and jobs advice to the Department. The project is managed and delivered by the ISJA.
Chair - Narelle D'Amico, Fraser Coast Regional Council
Georgina Davis, Queensland Water Directorate
Erin Cini, Water Services Association of Australia
Angela Robinson, Seqwater
Lisa Doyle, Sunwater
Maria Gregory, Sunwater
Larisse Neil, Unitywater
Stephen Wagner, Isaac Regional Council
Michael Gallagher, Central Highlands Regional Council
Shane Bandiera, Cassowary Coast Regional Council
Scott Wickman, Gladstone Area Water Board
Chris Manning, Urban Water
David Cameron, BuildSkills Australia
Barry Watson, The Australian Workers Union
Observers
Chris Blake, Queensland Health
Renee Henry, Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers
Lee-Anne Willis, Water Industry Water Project Coordinator, (hosted by Mackay Regional Council, funded by QWRAP)
Sarah Henry, Queensland Water Directorate
Secretariat - Keith Heavens, Queensland Water Directorate
Project Manager
Keith Heavens is the Project Manager and Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor for the water sector. In delivery of the project Keith will engage with and consult a broad range of stakeholders including federal and state government, sector associations and peak bodies, small and large employers including local governments, water boards, bulk water suppliers and retailers, resources and mining organisations, major accommodation providers, bulk ports, airports and more.
CONTACT DETAILS
Phone: (07) 3632 6855
Email:kheavens@qldwater.com.au