Draft Submission Water New Zealand - Technology Change and the Future of Work

Water New Zealand has prepared this submission on behalf of its members as the water industry is subject to many of the changes outlined in the Commission’s draft reports; draft report three in particular. The adoption of technical solutions to monitor, sense and resolve issues as they arise is changing all aspects of water and environmental management. As stated, training to enable industry staff to maximise the opportunities technology provides is critical to the water sector, but it must be noted that:
1. Based on our sector’s experience to date, we anticipate that formal qualifications (i.e. NZQA approved) will not be the only vehicle for technology focused training in our sector.
2. That the types of technology and knowledge required to use this technology lends itself well to a blend of qualifications, certifications and (where applicable) technique or technology centric micro-credentials.

The submission is structured in line with the ‘recommendations’ and ‘questions’ in each of the draft reports. Comments have only been made if the recommendation or question is relevant to water sector.