Sydney Water employs over 3000 staff and has many specialised technical positions that require a pool of skilled, trained workers. Add that to an ageing workforce and a planned relocation from central Sydney to Parramatta, and it became clear an innovative approach was necessary to address the recruitment challenge.
Sydney Water’s solution was to partner with TAFE NSW, using the services of Clements Recruitment, to fill two-year part-time contract positions and to attract and train younger people into its workforce.
‘People were not applying for positions, particularly technical positions. Sydney Water needed to recruit quality applicants for all areas of its business,’ said Geoff Colquhuon, Business Development Manager, Clements Recruitment.
‘Working with job placement services at various TAFE NSW Institutes, I advertised undergraduate contract positions, and interviewed and short-listed candidates. Sydney Water has placed about 22 undergraduates in the past three months into two-year paid positions that allow students to work part-time around their studies,’ he said.
Q: |
Shortage of applicants for technical positions? |
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TAFE NSW can work in partnership with you to meet recruitment needs. |
‘Undergraduates may be recruited from architectural drafting, engineering or even mathematics courses – it depends on the vacancy. Recently, we put nine students from manual drafting at Liverpool College into positions.’
Graeme Parkinson, Human Resources Consultant, Sydney Water, says ‘the program is a well-rounded, effective program for undergraduates’ and believes working with Clements and TAFE NSW has produced results. ‘Collaborations like this enable Sydney Water to develop programs that are useful and relevant. Sydney Water recently won two awards for its Graduate Program and for being a diverse employer.
‘I would recommend that other employers work with TAFE NSW when they need quality staff,’ Mr Parkinson said. ‘We are able to recruit undergraduates who have relevant skills and with their TAFE NSW training they can attain higher skill levels than would otherwise be possible.’
Luke Freeman, a student from TAFE NSW – South West Sydney Institute’s Liverpool College, participated in the undergraduate program.
‘I studied a Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Architectural Technology and had just completed my course when a contract position became available. My teacher, Farhat Qayyum-Naz was terrific. He showed me the ad and helped me present my resume professionally. I went for the interview and was successful,’ Mr Freeman said.
He has now gained a permanent job with Sydney Water in graphical information systems.
‘I would recommend the program to anyone who is dedicated and committed to their studies,’ Mr Freeman said. ‘There are real opportunities for promotion at Sydney Water.’
Mr Colquhuon said that since working with TAFE NSW had helped him solve a client’s recruitment problem, ‘I’ve become a real advocate of TAFE NSW.’
‘As more business units at Sydney Water become aware of the program, we’ll see more opportunities for TAFE NSW undergraduates to participate,’ he said.
The Sydney Water partnership is statewide and students at any Institute may participate. Vacancies are advertised through job placement services and more are anticipated in 2009.
