About Wetskills

What Is The Wetskills Water Challenge?

The Wetskills Water Challenge is a two-weeks pressure-cooker programme for students and young professionals with a passion for water. They join an Event, coming from all over the world, and work in transdisciplinary and transcultural teams on challenging water cases. Their main challenge: find innovative and out-of-the-box solutions for water challenges in a changing world.

Connecting People In The Water Sector

The study cases are provided and formulated by Case owners: companies and organisations with a dedicated challenge in a local situation. These cases are presented in an ice-breaking and energizing session, where the cooperation between the Dutch water sector and the partner-country is showed and positioned. It provides a base to integrate different generations, water challenges, disciplines and cultures.

The Event Programme

The Wetskills Water Challenge is a two week programme, consisting of some blocks:

  • 1-2 days: Teambuilding activities, with water-related excursions, cultural visits
  • 1 day: BrainHurricane, the kick-off with Meet&Greet with case owners, speed-date with experts, brainstorming sessions
  • 6-7 days: Team Working days, connection with case owners, literature study, discussion, teamwork, meeting experts, optional: field trip and some free time
  • 1 day: Training & Mentoring, with Pitch & Poster training, and Plan of Action discussion
  • 2 days: Preparation for finals, with Feedback round with all participants, polishing posters and Pitch practice sessions
  • 1-2 days: Finals: Wetskills Finals, awarding ceremony, participation in water conferences or meeting with delegations
  • 0,5 day: Farewell lunch or dinner, check-out

Challenges And Case Owners

The study cases are provided and formulated by case owners: companies and organisations with a dedicated water challenge. Each case owner has its own team. This team is challenged to find an out-of-the-box concept/idea. The case owners are involved in the elaboration of the case during the Wetskills event, live and/or on a distance by Skype/phone/e-mail. The most feasible ideas will go to the WetsNext programme for follow-up.

Main Criteria For The Finals

The jury, existing on a diverse group of experts, will judge the teams on the following criteria:

  1. Out-of-the-box: creativity and innovation
  2. Technical feasibility
  3. Economically attractive: business model on short & long term
  4. Social and environmental context
  5. Quality of the presented Pitch & Poster

How It Works

Water event

Universities

Wetskills connects with universities all over the world. These universities have the possibility to network with local water companies, government and other universities.

Organisations

Organisations provide an inspiring Water Challenge for a team of Students and Young Professionals. They thereby promote their company and connect with young talent.

Participants

Students and young professionals from these universities join the Wetskills Events and work in a team to solve the water issues in the cases provided by organisations.

Events Since 2010

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Study Cases

Developed Bottom-Up By Enthusiastic Water Professionals

Meet our team

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Participant

As Wetskills participant, you will experience real-life cooperation in transcultural teams. It will create or expand your first international network, based on: intercultural teamwork, mutual acceptance, out-of-the-box ideas, comfort zone challenges and knowledge/expertise exchange.

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Organisation

As Case owner (organizations with a water challenge), you will get your own international team with enthusiastic and transcultural students and young professionals. Your team will come with a creative solution for the implementation of your challenge in the local situation.

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University

As local partner-university (or universities), you have the possibility to network with local water companies, government and universities, but international ones as well. This new learning experience method is energizing for your students.

Join

Event

As Wetskills participant, you will experience real-life cooperation in transcultural teams. It will create or expand your first international network, based on: intercultural teamwork, mutual acceptance, out-of-the-box ideas, comfort zone challenges and knowledge/expertise exchange.

Join