National Water Skills Audit - Australian Water Association

4 Analysis of Results4.1 Combining the WSAAand Current SurveysThese projected gaps can be mapped against qualificationlevels, although in many cases an individual’s level ofexperience can change the level of qualification requiredfor a role. For example, in order to fill an Engineer levelposition a recent graduate would require at least a Bachelorsdegree; however, where an individual has significantexperience in the field a Diploma may be sufficient.It is also the case that during periods of high demandfor particular occupations employers will often alter thequalification level that they require for a given position.Table 4.1 sets out the current ‘gaps’ (unfilled vacancies)in the non-WSAA water segment by job family mappedagainst typical minimum qualification levels. As with allof the results of this survey, the estimates are subject toa considerable degree of uncertainty.The largest area of demand is for degree level qualificationsand above, accounting for almost half of the currentrequirement, although there is also considerable unmetdemand for those with vocational qualifications.Table 4.2 sets out the projected number of new employeesrequired by the (non-WSAA) water segment by 2018combining the estimates of current unfilled vacancies,projected retirements, and projected jobs growth. Thisestimate is subject to greater uncertainty than the overall‘population’ estimates, as not only are the uncertaintiesrelated to the ‘grossing-up’ of the estimates, butassumptions need to be made about likely retirementrates. These estimates do not include estimates of thenumbers of new employees needed to replace thoseleaving the water sector for a reason other than retirement,such as those shifting to employment in anotherindustry.It is projected based on the survey results that almost8,000 employees with degree level qualifications orhigher will be required by 2018, 46 per cent of the total.A further 9,200 individuals with vocational level qualificationsmay be required, although this has assumed thatall of the workers in the job family ‘operators’ will requiresome form of VET qualification (which may not be thecase).As common job families have been used between thissurvey and the survey of WSAA members the two setsof results can be combined. The results are not perfectlycomparable as the WSAA survey was undertaken in2007 and, therefore, 10 year projections refer to 2017rather than 2018; however, this should not alter any ofthe findings significantly.Table 4.3 sets out the results of the WSAA survey by jobfamily and qualification. The WSAA members requirementsfor their future workforce are slightly less skillintensive than those reported in the survey of the widerwater sector, with 42 per cent of the required additionalemployees requiring a Bachelors degree or above (42 percent of the total).Table 4.4 sets out the combined results from the twosurveys. Over the next 10 years it appears that the watersector will need an additional 26,000 employees, 11,404of whom are projected to require a bachelors degree orabove. The actual requirements may be greater than thisif booming sectors such as mining and infrastructuredevelopment attract skilled employees currently workingin the water sector to shift industry.Table 4.1: Estimated current vacancies for non-WSAA segment water sector employees by job family and qualificationAustralianQualificationsFrameworkCert II Cert III Cert IV DiplomaAdvDiplomaAssociateDegreeVoc GradCertVoc GradDipBachelor Grad Cert Grad Dip Masters DoctorateManagers 175EngineerProfessionalsScience/TechnicalProfessionals758141EngineerParaprofessionals279Science/technologyParaprofessionalsTrades and RelatedWorkers208Operators 307Business support 49 9148 ICE WaRM • National Skills Audit (Phase One) Report