The European Junior Water Programme aims to build a community of young European water management professionals who share a deep commitment to addressing today’s and future water and climate change issues. It is designed to provide participants with the tools, the skills and the appropriate cocreation and cooperation network to find new solutions and share knowledge for the purpose of creating and maintaining a sustainable and safe water management system in Europe.
The European Junior Water Programme offers young professionals a unique opportunity to learn essential teamwork and collaboration skills, build valuable networks, and share knowledge across European boundaries at an early stage in their careers.
Water recognizes no boundaries, and neither does climate change. While knowledge about water management in Europe is fragmented and still separated by geography and culture, the ageing water sector workforce risks the loss of knowledge and skills. An integrated European approach is of vital importance to ensure a safe and clean water supply for all of Europe, with sufficient water for agriculture and cities that are resilient to climate change.
For this purpose, we want to leverage the commitment, talent and dedication of junior water management professionals, bringing them together in a programme that will boost their capacity and that of the organizations they work for to take water management in Europe to a whole new level.
Participants of the European Junior Water Programme
The participants to the European Junior Water Programme all work for water management organizations across Europe.
What they find is that the complexities of European policy and cooperation, compliance with European laws and legislation, w.aterfootprint and cross-border projects are becoming ever more important even early on in their career. Operating effectively and successfully in this complex environment requires a lot of knowledge and a high level of skills.
Programme structure
This unique, specially developed water programme is based on three pillars:
- Masterclasses providing knowledge of European policies, cooperation, and the main water challenges.
- Cooperation on local European water systems and challenging projects addressing pressing issues through practical assignments.
- Professional skills and personal development in an extensive training programme for the purpose of working together in transnational teams and developing cultural awareness.
Participants will have plenty of time to get to know each other during these weeks and to find out more about the various countries and cultures.
Every quarter, all participants will come together for a week facilitated by one of the participating organizations. The European Junior Water Programme consists of a total of 8 weeks. During the time between training weeks, they will work on an individual or team project for 7 days. Overall, participants will spend one day a week on the programme.
