We are carrying out a comprehensive review of water services qualifications and standards. This review supports industry by ensuring these qualifications are fit for purpose for the water sector and that graduates can meet future industry requirements.
The project will involve reviewing the water qualifications listed below, considering any new credentials required (such as standards to support trade-waste training), and developing a set of new skill standards that will be used in place of unit standards in programmes across the reviewed qualification suite.
This review will include the unit standards in the following domains:
We’re excited to share the Water Services Qualification Review Insights Report.
We have completed the Investigative Phase (Stage 1) of the Water Services Qualification Review.
Stage 1 was an opportunity for the sector and providers to tell us what they think about the current suite of qualifications and standards and the development needs across the water services sector.
We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to Stage 1. We’ve prepared an insights report that captures the valuable feedback we received and outlines our recommended actions to address the key topics raised.
We are pleased to inform you about the development of new qualification pathways for the water services sector in New Zealand. These pathways will support the roles of drinking water, wastewater, and trade waste. These new pathways, endorsed by the Water Services Steering Group in August 2025, represent a significant change designed better to meet the needs of the sector and its workforce.
To ensure these pathways reflect industry needs and support workforce development, public consultation has commenced. This consultation invites input from water operators, employers, training providers, and stakeholders.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to discuss the education pathway proposals please email Hannah Clark, [email protected], Qualifications Developer.
In December 2024 and March 2025, Waihanga Ara Rau held two discovery workshops to help inform a skills framework for the drinking water, wastewater and trade waste sectors.
This Skills Framework discussion document is a must-read for employers, training providers, and industry organisations to stay informed on the skills that industry identified they value most.
In Stage 2, we will work alongside subject matter experts and other stakeholders to review the existing qualifications, develop skill standards and explore new developments that will deliver an improved credential suite for the water services sector.
Further work will be needed to define the skills required for stormwater and water network reticulation. This work will follow in future stages by the Industry Skills Board.
