When it comes to establishing a career in water, the pathway into the sector can be challenging, but one leading young water professional says the effort is well worth it to be able to work on some of the biggest and most interesting issues of our time.
Earlier this year, Aurecon Lead Process Engineer Dr Samuel Skinner won the 2024 Young Water Professional of the Year award, sponsored by Xylem, an accolade he collected on account of his dedication to contributing to the sector’s path to net zero and beyond.
Nominations for the state and territory awards are now open, with water sector professionals encouraged to nominate leading and inspirational individuals and projects.
Why water? Skinner said his career in water gives him the opportunity to work on innovative and game-changing projects right around Australia, but his interest in the sector started when he was young.
“My pathway into water started early. I knew I wanted to work in water from quite a young age. I grew up on Latji Latji and Ngintait Country near Mildura on the banks of the Murray River. I saw first hand the impacts of water technology and policy on the community,” he said.
“I studied chemical engineering at university, which led to postgraduate research. My PhD focused particularly on sludge dewatering. But I really wanted to get my hands dirty with actual project work. I was lucky enough to land a gig with Aurecon.
“Initially, I worked in a team dedicated to contaminated land and then I moved into the water infrastructure team. I now work on projects all around the country. This is one of the amazing things about the work I do today.”
Skinner said that, while the work he is involved with in the water sector is engaging enough, it is also absolutely crucial in terms of transitioning to net zero, and contributing to the solutions needed in the next decade is something he finds highly motivating.
“The next 10 years are going to be absolutely pivotal to reaching our net zero goals. It’s not going to happen with the same old approaches. Being able to help clients and water authorities to achieve those goals is definitely a fire that burns in me,” he said.
“That’s what’s exciting about coming to work in the water industry every day, with lots of talented and intelligent people, and hearing their ideas and working to implement them.
“We are at such a critical juncture. Looking back, it's going to be hard to tell our grandkids that we kept doing the same old things. We will see where the world ends up, but the water industry has a really important role to play in making the necessary changes.
“As custodians of the key ingredient to the energy transition, we need to be able to develop the right solutions and communicate them, this is all really critical for the future of the planet.”
Skinner said one of the things he likes about working in the water sector is the variety and diversity of work, with water being central to many of the transitions currently occurring across industry.
“The day to day looks very different, depending on the project we are working on. Certainly, the day can be very project management focused, coordinating different disciplines and bringing the project design together,” he said.
“And some days can be quite technical, looking at mass balances and process flow diagrams. Sometimes all of this variety can occur on the same day, but no two days are the same.
“I particularly enjoy design management, where the challenges for certain disciplines can be overcome by solutions from another discipline. Getting the team talking and working together for best-of-project solutions, that is the best part for me.”
Designs in his current role are particularly focused on wastewater treatment plants, Skinner said, but there are also a number of projects between the interface of water and energy, especially with the focus on renewable hydrogen and getting to net zero.
“Renewable hydrogen and the ecosystem approach to energy is an area the sector is headed towards. But if we just operate as a siloed industry, without looking at what is occurring in energy, agriculture and manufacturing, then we are not going to get to net zero,” he said.
“When you look further afield and understand the interconnectedness of all the different systems and circular economy approaches we can lean into, that’s where there is hope is in achieving our net zero goals.”
Skinner said a lot of this work involves bringing different stakeholders together to understand their energy footprints and needs, and what that looks like in terms of the water needed to produce hydrogen and renewable energy.
“In water, we are always dealing with a range of different stakeholders, and that’s where the magic happens. Bringing people together with different ideas and ways of viewing the world, that’s what project management is all about,” he said.
“At Aurecon, we have a great community engagement team that gets involved in a lot of projects. It’s not just about doing the technical work, but also translating that into what it means for the community, and being able to communicate it in a transparent and respectful way.
“Engineers can often have blinkers on when coming up with a technical solution. But in a lot of the work we do, community engagement is a really important part of the work.”
Also an strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Skinner said it’s important for organisations to recognise the benefits of having diverse teams, and to do whatever is necessary to ensure workplaces are inclusive.
“When working on a bid or a proposal, and considering the different expertise required for the project, there should always be a step that includes reflecting on whether or not the team being built is diverse,” he said.
“I grew up in country Victoria, where there has always been a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. But sometimes it’s not right, and we do need to speak up. In projects, if people are not feeling included, it is incumbent on all of us to stand up and speak out.”
Reflecting on how far he has come so far, Skinner said his advice to other young people and students thinking about a career in water would be to get involved with the community and make the most of the incredible opportunities that are available.
“My involvement with the Australian Water Association has been very important to my journey in the sector. The AWA brings together such a broad range of really passionate people, and it's been great for my career to connect with these peers,” he said.
“My relationship with AWA goes all the way back to when I was at university, when I received the Student Water Prize, that’s when I got involved with the YWP Committee. And I’ve been involved ever since.
“The water industry is a wonderful place to work and if you are thinking about getting into it, then you won’t regret it. The water sector is a wonderfully inclusive place.
“It took quite a few job applications before I got my first job. I have been speaking to many university students about this journey, and getting your foot in the door is one of the hardest parts of the transition from study to industry.
“But don’t be disheartened with the number of knockbacks. Unless you get very lucky, this is bound to happen. All of the applications and patience is worth it to forge a career in water.
“Once you enter the industry, there are so many different interesting aspects and important challenges that make the work more meaningful. It’s really worthwhile.”
Interested in nominating someone for this year’s Young Water Professional of the Year awards? Find out more about nominations here.