A case study on the career paths of Finnish water supply and sanitation service experts

Experts in water supply and sanitation are highly motivated and dedicated. This motivation is built on the realisation that as a water sector professional one has a significant role in contributing to the well-being of people and development of society. The most important competencies of the experts include a holistic understanding of the water sector, having common sense and the ability to communicate with a variety of stakeholders. The professional expertise is mainly acquired through work experience. There can be a variety of educational backgrounds for water sector experts but the main thing is that education provides the general basis and the tools for life-long learning. These were the main findings of a qualitative career analysis of eight Finnish experts on water supply and sanitation.