OiEAU ANNUAL REPORT - 2019

PROSPECTS Training: a booming sector The water professions are constantly evolving with the dissemination of new technologies, taking new challenges into account. OiEau is, for example, involved in a study on "The water of the future - challen- ges and prospects for compa- nies in the sector", published in 2019 by the Directorate General of Companies and the French Water Sector. It gi- ves eleven solutions to meet the challenges of the sector, including new means of col- lecting, exploiting and enhan- cing data, more sustainable networks, the reuse of treated wastewater, ecological en- gineering for stormwater ma- nagement and water purifica- tion and energy efficiency of structures. At international level, the wa- ter professions are also evol- ving. In 2018, OiEau carried out a study on "Vocational training and the water and liquid waste sector" for for Agence Française de Déve- loppement (AFD), to identify the challenges at internatio- nal level. There are obviously old challenges that are insuf- ficiently taken into account as well as new ones, regarding both health and environment (global warming, urban and demographic growth, was- tewater treatment), as well as utility management (dense areas, rural areas, stor- mwater drainage, flood risk management, infrastruc- ture optimization, energy consumption, performance of facilities, economic balance of services), or ser- vice to users (access to drinking water and sanita- tion for all, prevention of water-borne diseases, inte- ractions between water and town planning). Faced with these future needs in jobs and required skills, the training to be delivered can be adapted, in- cluding via the use of digital training tools (see P. 26). In France, the reform of vocational training has led OiEau to strengthen, in particular, the design of trai- ning curricula with certification (Work in Confined Spaces, Work near Networks) or qualifying (chlo- rine, water sampling, connec- tion checks, swimming pool water, polyethylene welding, rainwater harvesting…). Professional courses (sam- pler, treatment plant operator, network agent, etc.) or Pro- fessional Qualification Certi- ficates (PQC) are becoming increasingly important. OiEau not only delivers eligible mo- dules (technical sales mana- gers in building materials) but is now approved as an "As- sessment Body" by several PQCs (scheduler, technician or operator in industrial main- tenance) for water and sanita- tion companies. « For better recogni- tion of the professions, for better taking evo- lutions into account, OiEau has conside- rably adapted and di- versified its offer and will continue to do so, to meet all the new challenges. », is confir- ming Mr. Pronost, Director of Training and Educational Engineering - OiEau. ©OiEau 42