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Training in the water industry – a short history
by Bert Gray, Principal Training Consultant, Opus Environmental Training Centre
Opus Environmental Training Centre (ETC) delivered training to approximately 1200 students in 2006, carrying on a legacy of training in this industry that began many years ago.
The students include water and wastewater treatment plant operators and technicians, water and wastewater reticulation personnel, swimming pool staff, contractors, District Health Board Drinking Water Assessors, Local Authority managers, regulators, compliance officers, defence force personnel, school caretakers and parent volunteers looking after school pools, and many others.
Most seek recognition through unit standard based training (94%) with Water Industry National Certificates and Diplomas, or just one or more unit standards that cover aspects of the industry which recognizes the skills covered in training delivery. In this article we outline where we have come from and importantly, where are we going?
Where have we come from?
The Ministry of Works was formed in 1943 when the Public Works Department (PWD) ceased to exist. The PWD designed a number sewage treatment plants under the general supervision of the Chief Design Engineer Mr. CWO Turner and his successors.
Prior to 1939 the PWD designed approximately 16 sewage treatment plants and from 1940 to 1948 there were approximately 11.
From 1943 this function became the responsibility of the Public Health Engineering section of the Ministry of Works who continued to design facilities, mainly for Government Departments (Defence, Justice and Health).
At the same time some cities and towns were having their treatment facilities constructed, often with financial support from the Government. During this period of construction and commissioning the lack of skilled operators became apparent.
Thankfully, the Ministry of Works had the foresight to see the need for operator training, by first establishing the Ministry of Works Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Training School at the Trentham Sewage Treatment Plant in 1953, and then 10 years later, the Water Treatment Operator Training School at Bulls (Swimming Pool Water Treatment being added in 1965).
The Ministry appointed Jack Ralston from Scotland as the first Superintendent of the “Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Training School - Trentham”. The training school offered the first recognised sewage treatment plant operator training courses in 1959 with the “C” grade course. The B & A grade courses following shortly after.
The qualifications timeline
- 21st August 1959: first “C” Grade Certificate of the “Sewage Treatment Plant Operator Training Scheme” was issued.
- 2nd December 1960: first “B” Grade Certificate was issued
- 24th September 1963: first “A” Grade Certificate was issued.
Dave Davis was appointed from England as the first Superintendent of the Water Treatment Plant Operator Training School - Bulls. Formalised water treatment plant operator courses were immediately offered:
- 22 nd April 1965: first “C” Grade Certificate of the “Water Treatment Plant Operator Training Scheme” was issued
- 10 th October 1966: first “B” Grade Certificate was issued
- 17 th December 1971: first “A” Grade Certificate was issued
- The first Swimming Pool Water Treatment Certificate issued on the 22 nd July 1965. Changes in the organisation
The two schools were affected in 1987 when the Civil Engineering Division became the Commercial Arm of the Ministry of Works and the decision was made to amalgamate the two Operator Training Schools at Trentham.
The “Water & Wastewater Treatment Centre” was born, headed by Stu Clark as manager and myself as training manager.
Changes were happening rapidly in the State Sector and on the first of April 1988 the Ministry of Works ceased to exist and became a “State Owned Enterprise”, Works Consultancy Services. This heralded another name change to the training centre - “Water Treatment Centre” (WTC).
Further changes were happening to the organization and in 1996 Works Consultancy Services were sold to Kinta Kellas, a Malaysian Company who are part of the large Renong Group.
In 1997 Works Consultancy Services became Opus International Consultants. These changes to the larger company structure effected another name change, when in 1997 the WTC became Opus Environmental Training Centre (ETC), to better reflect a new operating focus, offering training services other than plant operator training.
In recognizing the importance of recognition of hard-earned qualifications, the WTC commenced exploratory discussions with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) regarding the C, B, and A Grade Water and Wastewater Treatment Certificates being given some comparison with current NZQA qualifications.
In 1994, NZQA endorsed the level of C, B, and A grade certificates as follows:
- C Grade Water and Wastewater Treatment Certificates – NZQA Level; Trade Certificate
- B Grade Water and Wastewater Treatment Certificates – NZQA Level; NZCS or E Intermediate Certificate
- A Grade Water and Wastewater Treatment Certificates – NZQA Level; NZCS or E Full Certificate
ETC became a NZQA approved Private Training Establishment in 1998 and was granted approval and accreditation from NZQA for certificated courses.
This coincided with the water sector in New Zealand seeking to establish an Industry Training Organisation to benefit its members through targeted qualifications. The existing Agricultural Industry Training Organisation was selected in 1999 and developed a new department, Water Industry Training.
Water Industry Training has developed all water qualifications to date in water-related domains.
Opus ETC has a special relationship with Water Industry Training, and for the benefit of the industry put in considerable effort in converting C, B, and A syllabus for the development of National Certificates and Diplomas. Now water and wastewater plant operators train for nationally recognized national certificate and diplomas. Since then it has also helped the ITO develop new qualifications with the successful introduction of a Reticulation national certificate. An important change
In recognizing the water industry needed to be more supportive of training, Opus and the New Zealand Water and Waste Association formed New Zealand Water and Environment Training Academy (NZWETA), a joint venture between the organizations committed to providing a vehicle designed to facilitate training for all sectors of the broader water and wastes industry.
This joint venture provides a commercial connection between training provider and their audience. ETC is now a significant provider for NZWETA for national qualifications and professional development short courses.
Where are we going?
Opus Environmental Training Centre remains committed to training and the focus now is to respond to market demand for training, identified by NZWETA among others, in areas not currently available, and where existing skills require extension.
Where there is a need and an established demand, Opus ETC will develop training and related services to meet that demand.
Bert Gray has 42 years experience in wastewater treatment, operation and management and provides training in wastewater treatment and all areas of reticulation. A "father figure" of water industry training, he is well known for his support of operational personnel throughout New Zealand.
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