Workforce
Workforce
Workforce strategies represent a critical element of management in the water industry. Workforce strategies include building resources to help attract, recruit, train, and retain talented and skilled employees and best practices for succession planning.
Resources
Transformative Water Leadership Academy
The Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA), a collaboration between AWWA and the WaterNow Alliance, is where the next generation of water utility leaders focus on the foundations of sustainable community leadership: how to integrate social, environmental, and financial concerns into important decisions about water utilities.
This 10-month program addresses leadership for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse. Participants will learn to balance short- and long-term priorities while creating value for all water stakeholders.
Veterans
AWWA believes military members are a good fit for the water sector because of their technical expertise and experience working nontraditional hours in a regulated environment.
In early August 2017, AWWA President Brenda Lennox, CEO David LaFrance, former AWWA President Katie McCain, and other AWWA volunteers and staff met in Washington D.C. with representatives from Soldier for Life, Marine for Life, Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Defense to build awareness and strategies to help Veterans work in the water sector. The Veterans Workforce Initiative was thus born.
The goal of the Veterans Workforce Initiative is to help Veterans secure jobs in the water industry. Volunteers from AWWA Sections are available to network with Veterans and help connect them to the water sector. Interested Veterans and/or volunteers should e-mail veterans@awwa.org for more information.
The Veterans Workforce Initiative has developed toolkits for employers looking to hire Veterans and flyers for Veterans interested in the water sector.
Volunteers located in each AWWA section are available to assist individual Veterans interested in the water sector. They can give advice and help connect Veterans to training and job opportunities in your region. Connect to a liaison in your local section by e-mailing veterans@awwa.org.
WorkforWater.org
Work for Water is a place for students and job seekers to find resources on green careers that make a real difference.
Developed by the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, the world’s leading technical experts on drinking water, resource recovery, and water quality, this site is packed with resources to find jobs or prepare for rewarding careers in protecting public health and the environment.
Women in Water
Women are significantly underrepresented in the water sector, especially in technical roles. Adding more women to the water workforce will have broad economic and local financial benefits, improve customer satisfaction, and increase performance.
The challenge of increasing the number of women in the global water workforce is complex, so it’s important to first understand the global need for water and sanitation services and the current state of women in water.
Technical Resources
Reports
Manuals
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Events With a Focus on Workforce
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Related Resources
Water Sector Workforce Sustainability Initiative Report
There is a workforce crisis in the water utility industry caused by an unprecedented number of retiring employees, along with shifting demographics, and a declining number of science and technical students receiving degrees.
Get the Book
The Water Workforce: Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining High-Performance Employees
The most important resources at any utility are human resources. People make all the difference in the success or failure of your utility’s operation. Managing utility workforce issues is the focus of this practical handbook for water utility human resources employees.
Get the Book
External Resources
Work for Water
USEPA Moving Towards Sustainability: Sustainable and Effective Practices for Creating Your Own Water Utility Roadmap
USEPA Effective Utility Management Case Examples
USEPA From M.O.S to J-O-B: A Guide for Applying Military Occupational Specialties (M.O.S) to Civilian Drinking Water and Wastewater Operations
USEPA Memorandum of Understanding between EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service
Baywork
Contextualized Learning How-To Guidebook
Internship Guidebook
Water and Wastewater Career Pathways Report
AWWA Policy Statements
AWWA’s policy statements are brief statements on protecting and improving water supply, water quality, management, and the interests of the public and the environment. They are written by consensus, subject to review and comment by AWWA committees, councils, and members. Because they represent AWWA’s position on these matters, they are approved by the AWWA Executive Committee of the board of directors.
Technical Committee Engagement
AWWA members are recognized globally for their industry expertise and their generosity in sharing that expertise for a better world through better water. AWWA members participate in committee activities, developing conference programs, writing technical manuals, developing standards, creating educational content and contributing to AWWA publications. Committee members primarily interact through conference calls, emails, and face to face meetings at conferences and events.
Workforce Strategy Committee
Veteran Liaison Network
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