Water Workforce Toolbox

Develop / source marketing collateral

Gaining the attention and interest of potential applicants is better supported with the use of contemporary marketing materials. The costs associated can vary depending on the level of sophistication. Following, are some ways to manage costs:

• Collaborate with other QWRAP members in the region to develop non-branded videos (e.g., A Day in the Life of….), photographs, and hard copy using staff from the different organisations. These can be used on organisation websites, relevant social media and at talks to various target audiences. It may also be possible to access QWRAP bid pool funding for collaborative initiatives.
• Run in-house campaigns interviewing employees in video recordings/grab on the work they do. This can be used as part of the organisation’s social media platforms articulating their employee value proposition. Ensure purposeful, clear and relevant disclosures (e.g. permission for use of images, intellectual property rights etc.) have been covered. Do not limit this to water industry jobs. Posting videos on roles across the organisation or staff discussing the benefits of the organisation, why it’s a great place to work, creates great content to promote the organisation as a potential employer.
• Collaborate with local senior schools or recognised training organisations offering audio-visual / social media courses or similar. There may be opportunities to provide work placements or complete practical assignments on the basis the developed collateral can be used by the organisation.
• Use non-branded materials available through the collaboration between the Water Services Association of Australia and the Australian Water Association – Careers in Water. qldwater also has non-branded information on their website.

Schools

Engage with schools in the local community, in particular middle and senior schools, to educate students (and teachers) about the water industry in general and career opportunities within the organisation. Most schools or school clusters have career advisors / coordinators who could be useful contacts. This could be through:

• Offering site tours (ensuring appropriate WHS matters and permissions have been covered off).
• Running competitions on matters relevant to the water industry e.g. posters / videos regarding water conservation; safe drinking water; designing water conservation inventions etc.
• Having engaging employees talk to students about their careers and the value they add to the community.
• Paid work placements.

For School Students

---

Career/Job Fairs are often thought of as relevant to school students and focusing on providing information regarding different employers and career / job pathways. Whilst these events do have their place, they often require a lot of effort from employer organisations and may have little return. To help achieve a better return on investment:

• Talk to local schools to find out what the students are wanting and the best ways of providing this.
• Be ready to take details of students displaying a genuine interest in working for the organisation (whether in the Water function or elsewhere). Follow up with those students to potentially provide work experience opportunities, or further discuss their area of interest in the organisation.

For Adults

---

Information from the University of Queensland indicates:

• Most people work for approximately 45 years.
• The average person changes jobs every 2 years and 9 months.
• Most people change careers at least once in their lives
• The average person tends to have 3 – 7 careers before they retire, and this number may be 5 – 7 for current and upcoming generations of workers.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicates:

• Job mobility for the year ending February 2023 remained at 9.5% for the second year in a row, the highest rate in a decade.
• Of the 13.8 million people employed in February 2023, 56% had been in their current job for less than 5 years. 21% had been in their job for less than 1 year.
• Job mobility rose in most industries with the largest increases in electricity, gas, water and waste services (5.8% to 10%).

This data reinforces the opportunities that exist for organisations to entice those already in the workforce into a new career in the water industry. One way of showcasing this is through Career / Job Fairs (or similar).

Consider running these:

• In the local region potentially tied in with other planned events (e.g. Multi-Cultural Days, Camping and Boating Expos, the annual Show or other events), in appropriate locations (e.g. shopping centres).
• In collaboration with other members in the same QRWRAP region at various events / locations.

Existing Employees

---

There can be considerable value in filling vacant positions internally:

• Existing knowledge regarding the organisational culture, structure, processes and environment.
• Demonstration of a commitment to advancing the careers of employees.
• Retention.

When vacant positions within a team / function are filled by internal employees, the successful applicant is more likely to have been sourced from within that team / function. Given the average person tends to have 3 – 7 careers before they retire, an opportunity exists to recruit to vacant water industry positions from elsewhere within the organisation.

There are numerous organisations that can assist in supporting employers source potential applicants

Following is a sample of these that are likely able to provide support across all QWRAP regions. Each region may also have access to other such organisations with more of a local focus:

• RSL Queensland runs the RSL Employment Program. There are 5,500 people leaving the Australian Defence Force (ADF) each year. This represents a considerable pool of potential candidates with a range of skills, attributes and experiences including in trades. The Employment Program supports ADF veterans, and partners of current / former ADF members find meaningful employment. Since 2018, they have supported over 720 veterans secure civilian employment following a career in the ADF. They have also supported more than 280 ADF and veteran partners into jobs. Employers have included Urban Utilities, Ergon, Energex, Veolia, ThinkWater, and SEE Civil. Partner employers can also advertise vacant positions on the RSL QLD Employment Program Jobs Board. qldwater has a partnership established with RSL Queensland and can assist members in accessing this.
• Department of Employment and Workplace Relations provides access to a range of helpful information and free services including:
• Access to webinars and resources providing information on recruitment suggestions.
• Through Workforce Australia, access to the Local Jobs program that support accelerated reskilling, upskilling and employment pathways. The program is designed to meet current and future workforce needs of local communities.
• Employment Facilitators in 51 employment regions that bring together local employment and skills services, employers and community organisations to connect people to training, job opportunities and support services.
• Local Jobs and Skills Taskforces in each employment region. Members work collaboratively to develop local solutions to assist employer workforce needs and help people in getting skilled for employment.
• Financial support to hire new staff / apprentices.
• Hiring overseas workers / migrants.
• Launch into Work program which supports the delivery of pre-employment projects co-designed with the hiring employer. The aim is to provide participating individuals with the skills, experience and confidence needed to start work. The projects include training, practical activities in the workplace and mentoring.
• CareerSeekers is a not-for-profit organisation supporting refugees and people seeking asylum who are either currently studying at university or wanting to restart their professional career in Australia. The program offers support to participants and employment partners before, during and post internship. Participants with tertiary qualification and professional work experience from their country of origin undertake paid 12-week internships with an employer. This provides local experience, a local reference and help to establish professional networks. University students studying full-time undertake paid internships during university breaks to link studies with practical work experience. Employer partners include EDL Energy, CS Energy, and Viva Energy.
• Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. The foundation partners with over 200 organisations across Australia and can provide:
• Access to work-ready Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men who have completed Year 12 and are searching for employment.
• Access to Aboriginal and Torress Strait Isander students keen to engage in school-based traineeships and/or work experience while they study.
• Access to Employment Forums with Year 11 and 12 male Aboriginal and Torres Strat Islander students. Clontarf Industry Partners get the opportunity to discuss training and employment opportunities with the students. Groups of students rotate to each of the partner’s tables where they have seven (7) minutes to speak with the students and hand out promotional materials about specific programs on offer like cadetships, traineeships, apprenticeships, or higher education pathways. qldwater has worked with the Clontarf Foundation as a way of connecting with this potential workforce.

QWRAP

---

QWRAP members include over 60 Councils. There are opportunities to collaborate on alternative / innovative regional arrangements for managing services. Examples of this have included the Regional Water Industry Worker Project, the Joint Training for Certificate III in water Industry Operations and SEQ Study Collaboration Tour projects, and the WBB CCTV Student Project. Possible future projects to aid in the recruitment / retention of water industry employees could include but are not limited to -

Development of marketing collateral to promote the water industry and working for Council as a career of choice.

Job rotations between member organisations to support career pathways

Joint Career / Job Fairs

Shared graduate placements

ADF

---

The ADF has a strong presence in various locations across Queensland to which its’ members may be posted. Many members have partners who re-locate and may be seeking employment. An opportunity exists to establish relationships with a local ADF presence given the strong support they provide to partners to assist them in assimilating into their new community. Initiatives such as orientation programs for partners may allow employers to meet potential applicants and showcase job / career opportunities.

Mining

---

The mining resource sector also has a strong presence in various Queensland locations. Many employees may have brought their partners who may also be seeking employment. Consider establishing relationships with the local mining presence to promote job opportunities in your organisation. If this is not possible, consider ways of promoting the job opportunities to the broader community.

Visa Holders

---

Employing non-permanent residents / non-citizens is an option so long as the individual has an appropriate visa that permits employment whilst in Australia. This is generally a lower risk, less costly and less complicated approach to sponsoring an individual to a nominated position. Individual organisations will likely have clear policies regarding employment of non-permanent residents / non-citizens that will need to be adhered to.

Sponsorship

---

Sponsorship can be costly ($10 000 - $20 000 / employee) and may introduce a degree of risk (the sponsored employee is generally ‘tied’ to the employer for the duration of the visa regardless of performance issues), this approach can certainly fill much needed skills shortages gaps. There are three (3) employer sponsored visa options:

• Temporary Skills Shortage Visa – Subclass 482 which allows a maximum stay of four (4) years. The processing time is between 8 – 70 days. This visa allows for the possibility of transferring over to a permanent visa (subclass 186) through the Temporary Resident Transition Stream after two (2) years. This option ties the individual (the Applicant) to the employer (the Sponsor) and is a good option if the position needs to be filled urgently and the Applicant is offshore or in Australia on a visa with work restrictions. It is possible to transfer sponsorship to another employer, however this is costly. The subclass 482 may be an option employers may wish to consider as a retention strategy.
• Skilled Employer Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa – Subclass 494 allows a stay of five (5) years for those Applicants sponsored to work in regional areas. Processing time can take between 5 - 16 months. This visa allows for the possibility of transferring to a permanent visa (subclass 191) after three (3) years. This option ties the Applicant to the Sponsor and is another option for employers seeking to retain staff as the Applicant cannot be considered for a permanent visa through the SkillSelect program for the first three (3) years.
• Employer Nomination Scheme – Subclass 186 which is a permanent visa allowing an Applicant to remain in Australia indefinitely. Processing time can take between 3 – 13 months and the Applicant is expected to work for the Sponsor for at least two (2) years although this can be difficult to enforce. This is unlikely to be a suitable option for filling a role urgently where the Applicant is offshore or in Australia on a visa with work restrictions. It is an expensive process and there is no guarantee the Applicant will remain with the employer for an extended period.
• Shared graduate placements

Whilst the steps involved for each option vary to a degree, common features include:

1. Stage 1 – Sponsorship Application: the employer needs to become an approved sponsor.
2. Stage 2 - Nomination Application: the employer nominates the Applicant to work in a skilled occupation. There is the need to demonstrate a genuine need for the position (e.g., labour shortages, current work demand) and that there is a genuine skills shortage in the region. The Applicant must be offered a contract for the life of the visa with a minimum salary of $70 000 plus superannuation (based on 38 hours / week). It must also be demonstrated that the Terms and Conditions of employment are equivalent to an Australian employee performing in the same role.
3. Stage 3 – Visa Application: the Applicant needs to meet specific criteria including having the appropriate skills for the nominated position, possessing competent English, have 2- 3 years relevant work experience and pass health / character checks.

---

The current approximate cost to an employer for sponsoring an individual is $10 000 if no lawyer or migration agent is used. Costs can be approximately $20 000 if a lawyer or migration agent is used however may be an effective use of resources given these services familiarity with the required steps. This cost cannot be recovered from the employee.

Please note that where an applicant is over the age of 50 years of age when the visa is awarded, Australian Government regulations may not permit visa extensions.

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has information on Hiring overseas workers / migrants.

Migration Queensland is a useful website with resources for working in Queensland.

Trade and Investment Queensland includes resources on attracting workers to Queensland.

There are many reasons employees leave a role including:

For a new, better job opportunity

A difficult work environment / culture / problematic relationship with a supervisor

Lack of opportunities for professional growth in current job

Remuneration

Seeking a change in career

Whilst an organisation cannot make changes across all of these aspects to encourage employees to remain, there are certain aspects it can control and influence. A key partner in this is the organisation’s People and Culture / Human Resources function which will either have the in-house expertise to assist or know where to access this.

Top Tips

Isaac Regional Council has taken the following approaches to increase the attractiveness of working for council and in the water / wastewater industry

Offering subsidised accommodation as part of the remuneration package.

Supporting training for apprentices and ‘operators in training’ up to the Certificate III level.

Encouraging and supporting operators to become dual-ticketed.

Guaranteeing ‘operators in training’ permanency on successful completion of relevant training.

Clearly outlining the remuneration and employee benefits available when advertising positions.

Researching innovations to rostering to support great work-life balance.

Regular Careers Expos.

Piloting a vacation exchange program with two other councils where under-graduate engineers were employed on holiday work placements. The participants entered into an employment contract with all three (3) councils which gave them exposure to regional areas.

Western Downs Regional Council faces strong competition for employees with the mining sector, which due to the 12-hour work days, advertise roles with considerable remuneration.

To address this, they emphasise the following benefits of working for Council including:

The work-life balance available to employees and benefits of a more relaxed regional lifestyle.

Flexible work practices.

The availability of corporate health insurance.

The strong focus on well-being as evidenced by the employment of a dedicated Well-being Officer.

A strong training program aimed at ‘growing local.’ The focus is on both professional and personal development.

Offering ongoing employment to trainees and apprentices who successfully complete their training. Eight (8) trainees were recently ‘fast-tracked’ through their program.