Inspiring future leaders: Water Ambassadors engage school students

Inspiring future water professionals is vital for sector resilience. Through school visits, Water Ambassadors connect students with real-world insights, opening pathways into water careers and fostering early interest in roles across the water community. 

AWA Water Ambassadors play an important role in improving water literacy and raising awareness of careers working with water. With the intention of sharing experience and knowledge, Water Ambassadors are encouraged to organise school visits all year round. 

During National Water Week in October, two Water Ambassadors from Yarra Valley Water attended Strathcona Girls Grammar in Melbourne to present to students about the amazing variety and potential of a career in water. 

Yarra Valley Water IWM Planning Engineer Roger Kumarasinghe was motivated to become a Water Ambassador because he wished he had someone to explain the opportunities within the water sector to him when he was younger. 

"Going through high school and university, I didn’t fully appreciate the water sector. I didn’t have a specific goal to work in water, let alone be an engineer; it just evolved step by step,” Kumarasinghe said.  

"Looking back now, I wish I’d been exposed to careers in water earlier. If someone had come to a careers day to talk about it, it would have opened my mind.  

“So, I felt it was time to give back and introduce students to this field – maybe even inspire future water professionals." 

Yarra Valley Water Sewer Operations Specialist Engineer Dr Bronwyn Herron said her motivation to become a Water Ambassador was informed by her passion for engaging girls in STEM – with the aim of encouraging more young women to enter the water sector.  

“Often, girls talented in science and maths drift toward humanities, while boys lean toward STEM fields. I saw the Water Ambassadors program as a formal way to address this imbalance by reaching out to that year 10 cohort, which I believe is crucial,” she said.  

"As an engineer, I have seen representation of women in engineering plateau around 14% for years, despite significant efforts. A diverse workforce achieves better outcomes for the water sector, our business, and our customers.  

“And often, it’s about representation – you can’t be what you can’t see. My goal is to share my journey and show young women the diverse and exciting careers they could pursue in water.” 

Exploring pathways early 

Engaging with high school students is a key opportunity in terms of bolstering a strong cohort of students preparing to enter university, Kumarasinghe said. 

"It’s critical to reach students at a point when they’re exploring career options. Year 10 is great, but sometimes engaging even younger students can help, so they can start considering subject pathways before they become restrictive,” he said.  

“But we also want students to realise that the water sector is multifaceted and that early choices shouldn’t limit their future career paths." 

Herron agrees: “Engaging students around year 10 gives them an insight before they make key academic decisions for VCE and university”. 

“Year 10 is a turning point for work experience, and the Water Ambassadors program allows us to connect earlier with students. Through school visits, we can spark interest in water careers even before they start thinking deeply about their subject choices." 

Showcasing opportunities 

The experience of presenting to the students at Strathcona Girls Grammar was a pleasure, Herron said, and an opportunity to share and showcase all the wonderful work water organisations do for the community.  

“Roger shared his pathway into engineering and added a lot of humour to engage the students, which worked exceptionally well! There were a lot of laughs.  I focused on an overview of the water sector and Yarra Valley Water’s work,” she said.  

"Our sector offers a synergy with environmental and sustainability fields, making it a fulfilling career choice. It has evolved immensely over the past few decades, especially with climate change and water resilience challenges.  

“For young people passionate about the environment, the water sector is a space where they can make a significant impact, even if maths and engineering aren’t their strengths." 

Kumarasinghe said the goal of his presentation was to help the students see that career paths aren’t always linear and that many options are available. 

"I also highlighted the collaborative nature of the water sector. Beyond water authorities, we work with regulators, building authorities and planners, engaging with various stakeholders to protect ecosystems. It’s a dynamic field with many avenues,” he said.  

Broader horizons 

While water sector recruitment efforts tend to focus on STEM, Kumarasinghe said the water sector requires diverse skillsets, so students with all kinds of varying interests should still be encouraged to consider a career in water. 

“We need people in communications, law, management and other fields. It’s essential we promote adaptive pathways for people who might not have the traditional STEM background but could still thrive and contribute to the water sector,” he said.  

Herron added that the water sector is really about meaningful work, so any student or career changer interested in making a difference should be a target.  

"As much as STEM is a priority, we should also communicate the variety of career opportunities,” she said.  

“The water community needs talent from all backgrounds. We need to ensure we are communicating a career in water to anyone interested in meaningful work.” 

Are you interested in communicating the value of a career in water to students? Take a look at how to become an AWA Water Ambassador.