Developing young future leaders in network operations

The Water Industry Operations Association of Australia (WIOA) is leading the charge in identifying, mentoring, and developing young future leaders in network operations.

The Water Industry Operations Association of Australia (WIOA) established the Network Operator Development Program in 2017. This program is unique to Victoria and seeks to identify, develop, and mentor future leaders in the network operations field across the Victorian water industry. Ideally, it will be extended to other states and territories in the years to come.

The program aims to expand the knowledge, skill set, network of colleagues and practical experience of network operators. It also exposes these future leaders to strategic thinking and best practice initiatives in technology, business management, and leadership.

One such graduate is Shaun Ratten, a Westernport Water team leader and the WIOA Network Operator of the Year winner in 2024.

“I was allowed to participate in the program throughout 2023,” said Ratten. “I spent time at different water corporations, learning different aspects of the water business. This program taught me about non-revenue water, water quality and burst mains repairs, all related to my role. At the same time, I learned about many new things, including wastewater treatment, fire plug maintenance, and regulatory separation.”

What does the program do?

Graduates are provided with tools to learn how to identify and implement best practice approaches, increase productivity and enhance a professional culture within their respective organisations to deliver an improved customer focus in their network-related activities.

Participants are exposed to various training delivery techniques, including structured workshops, field days, technical sessions, comparative analysis of industry practices, conference attendance, and projects. Over eight months, they give up one day per month for the program. Each session takes place in a different venue across the state, and venues are selected based on the content of the day.

The 2024 program participants attended workshops on leadership, water quality, water reticulation systems, wastewater collection systems, pumps and pumping systems, asset management, and solid waste management issues. The 2024 participants will attend the 2025 WIOA Victoria conference for their graduation ceremony.

“I took away so much from the program, far more than I expected to take,” Ratten said. “I had no idea what impact the program would have on me.”

One aspect of the program saw participants giving presentations to the group after each session. This extended Ratten’s experience in public speaking and presenting in front of a group.

“Each month, we had to write a paper that was then presented at our sessions,” he said. “For example, if we covered water quality, I would go and meet with the water quality experts.”

Diversity and collaboration

Ratten pointed out that all twelve members of the 2023 class remain in contact with each other.

“We had two women in our class, which encouraged that diversity of thinking and building everyone up,” he said. “Many of us were shy and just wanted to find our way through the program. It saw us come together as a group. There was so much talent in that group. We still talk to each other and bounce ideas off one another.”

The program’s first session saw the participants talk to the managing directors of their respective water corporations and businesses. This opened doors within Westernport Water for Ratten to meet with people he wouldn’t usually meet.

“From an operational perspective, it broke down many barriers,” Ratten said. “There were many people in the business I had never met and only knew by name. I was talking to the leaders whose names I only saw in emails. The opportunity to go and meet them helped me understand how they do their jobs, which was fascinating for me.”

Network Operator of the Year

As part of the Network Operator Development Program, the Advisory Group selects one participant to win the WIOA Network Operator of the Year award. The winner receives sponsorship from Water Training Australia to be used on a development opportunity. The winner is also encouraged to attend the annual WIOA conference and participate in a technical paper or poster presentation.

Ratten won the 2024 award and presented on the floating wetlands project being undertaken at Westernport Water. This was quite the experience for him.

“I never saw myself winning Network Operator of the Year,” he said. “When you win this award within such a great group of people, you don’t feel worthy. The group has so much talent; without the course, I don’t think I would have presented the paper. I would not have had the courage or knowledge to reach out to participate in the program or take this path towards presentations.”

A few months later, Ratten presented on the same topic at the Queensland conference on the Sunshine Coast. This presented him with new challenges when it came to presenting on the floating wetlands pilot program.

“The Victorian one was a lot easier, as I had more support in the room,” Ratten said. “I had probably about 20 people there from the network operator development course, and a few people from work. I also knew a few people from tours of different water facilities that I’d met through the WIOA course.”

The award’s winning has grown Ratten’s professional network, allowing him to connect with other leaders in the field. It has helped him foster valuable relationships and collaborations, boosting his confidence and reinforcing his commitment to working in the water industry.

The future for Ratten

The program has given Ratten a lot of thought about the direction of the industry. One thing he would like to achieve is increasing the diversity of the industry.

“From an operational perspective, the network operations industry tends to be very male-dominated,” he said. “It is changing, which is bringing a lot of positives to the industry. Ideally, I would be able to show my daughters that they can do whatever they want to do.”

While there are many opportunities within the water industry, Ratten is interested in treatment. He remains keen on working on Phillip Island and concentrating on his current job.

“I’d love to see the program expanded nationally. The growth and confidence the WIOA Network Operator Development Program gave me is immense. I could talk about it all day.”

For more information, visit https://wioa.org.au/get-involved/operator-programs/