Australia, 13 September 2022 – Thalassa Consulting, consultants specializing in international education and allied industries based in Sydney, has recently been working with the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment – Water (DPE – Water) to develop a business model to develop, maintain and deliver training materials to train and upskill water utility operators in the country and ensure training materials are easily accessible for operators, regulators and registered training organizations (RTOs).

Due to the diverse and geographical hurdles that Australia faces, the water industry is at times complex. Skilled and competent operators of water treatment, sewage treatment, as well as water and sewage treatment networks are vital to providing safe water services and sewage services in the country. Water providers are seeking access to accredited operators and a key issue identified is the access to suitable training due to a lack of RTOs offering relevant training.

To resolve these issues, under the leadership of NSW DPE – Water, a consortium of skilled consultants led by Thalassa Consulting and in consultation with key Water Industry stakeholders from across the nation developed a business model for the management of training materials for the water industry nationally.  Ultimately this will result in upskilling current water utility operators, attracting more water operators to meet demand, and increasing employment in the water sector.

Thalassa Consulting’s partner Accredify conducted in-depth research in parallel into industries that faced similar challenges to the Water Industry in Australia.  The three industries reviewed were the Disability Care, Aged Care, and Dairy industries all of which identified digital tools such as passports, digital delivery, and training assessments as cornerstones of their ability to attract skilled staff, the retention and upskilling of existing staff, and ensuring the quality delivery of services to end-users. Accredify specializes in digital qualification delivery, Education Passports, and data analytics products to allow automated skills gap analysis, upskilling, and training of staff.

David Riordan, Principal Consultant, Thalassa Consulting, said, “An industry-supported business model for the management of training materials is essential in terms of delivering safe and secure water services to the people of Australia. The team at Thalassa was honored to work with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment on this program to assist in maintaining  safe water for the wider community.”