There were nearly 300 water engineer positions advertised on recruitment website Seek last month. The high demand for these specialist engineers bodes ill for the government's Three Waters reform, which will rely heavily on experts the country currently doesn't have in the required numbers.
Not a bad thing.
Water engineers specialise in the design, construction and management of wastewater, drinkable water and stormwater systems. They will have typically completed a four year engineering degree, usually civil or environmental engineering, before specialising. Competency can take an extra five years.
Currently, these specialists are in very high demand internationally. Companies regularly compete to employ engineers with five or more years' experience, offering excellent wages and conditions. There is simply not a large enough pool of water engineers in New Zealand, and the situation is set to get worse.
If only the government would spend as much time fixing the education system as they worry about the treaty.