Developing the Next Generation of the Water Workforce

It's no secret that the water and wastewater industry is facing the challenges of both an aging workforce and a demand for additional operators.

"We are, in this industry, the front line of public health," said North Carolina Rural Water Association's Workforce Development Coordinator Carolyn Bynum. "Water is life. We cannot survive without water, and I don't think people understand the level of work and processing it takes to be able to provide that clean water, whether it's in your home or in the environment."

Aerial view of the Town of Clayton's wastewater facility.NRWA

With the knowledge and expertise that is required to become a water or wastewater operator, utilities are beginning to look to apprenticeships to train the next generation of water professionals. The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Registered Apprenticeship Program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, is transforming water training. The program is currently available in 32 states, including North Carolina.

"Basically, we are developing more than an operator," Bynum said. "The people who come through our registered apprenticeship will be the future leaders of this industry."

Designed to combine technical instruction alongside 4,000 hours of on-the-job training, this program gives apprentices a full view of the industry and different career paths available. Apprentices must complete 288 hours of technical instruction through training classes hosted by their State Association and online courses offered through NRWA's WaterPro Academy.

Online classwork is an important component of the Apprenticeship Program.NRWA

As opposed to just getting a job in this industry, apprenticeship allows participants to start a career with structured and systematic training.

Apprentices earn while they learn alongside their assigned mentor. "That mentor is so important because they are the guide on the side," Bynum said. "That is the individual that I trust to work with the apprentice to give them that technical knowledge."

Salvador "Junior" Valdiviezo is the Senior Plant Operator for the Town of Clayton, North Carolina, and is a mentor for NCRWA's apprenticeship program. "One of the reasons I wanted to become a mentor was to advocate and publicize our line of work," Valdiviezo said. "It's something that no one ever hears about. Most people flush the toilet and that is the last time they think about it."

Valdiviezo's first apprentice to mentor was Ilona Williams. "She is a great asset to the Town of Clayton, and she has a lot of big stuff ahead of her," Valdiviezo said.

Ilona Williams works closely with her mentor, Junior Valdiviezo.NRWA

Williams discovered the NCRWA's Registered Apprenticeship program on social media. With an associate's degree in environmental science, she felt the program would be a good fit for her interests, and she reached out for more information.

"It was just like a match made in heaven for the apprenticeship," Bynum said. "I knew from the moment I started talking to her that she was going to do an incredible job. I was so impressed with her level of maturity, the way that she answered the questions of why she wanted to be in this industry."

Williams began her apprenticeship working at the plant as an operator in 2022.

Ilona Williams performs tasks around the plant.NRWA

"This is a dirty field, a line of work that we do, so she wasn't scared to get her hands dirty. She picked up very well on tools that we use in the field [and the] different tests that we do here," Valdiviezo said.

With different milestones to complete and classes to take, Williams said the program is very structured. "The thing I like about the apprenticeship program is that there's structure for it," Williams said. "It gives me a place to start and to know what my goal is going to be. You get more classes and just more hands-on knowledge about what is really going on."

Williams's interest was piqued by the testing conducted at the lab and she began to learn the ins and outs of all the processes. "After a while, I started really liking the different tests and stuff that we do in the lab," Williams said. "I just kind of stuck myself in the lab and hung out here and learned everything that needed to be done."

Ilona Williams performs settleability test.NRWA

Subsequently, the lab supervisor at the Town of Clayton retired. With encouragement from both her mentor and the director of water resources, Williams decided to apply for the position. After just a year and a half into the program, Ilona was promoted to lab supervisor in November 2023.

"To be promoted prior to completing the apprenticeship shows the trust that the town has in her and it shows me that they trust North Carolina Rural Water Association to send them good people," Bynum said.

Ilona Williams shows Carolyn Bynum around the plant.NRWA

Williams graduated from the NCRWA Apprenticeship Program in May 2024 and continues to work as the lab supervisor at the Town of Clayton.

"My favorite part about the job is really just knowing that I am helping the environment and putting clean water back into our rivers," Williams said. "That is a really fulfilling part of my job. I think if you are interested in any type of environmental anything, any type of water, starting off in the apprenticeship is a good way to go."

Ilona Williams learns the ropes from her mentor, Junior.NRWA

Whether you enjoy chemistry, environmental science, biology, or working with your hands, starting in the Apprenticeship Program opens the door to a long-lasting career field.

"The things that you can do in this industry are mammoth," Bynum said. "You have to work for it, but I'm going to tell you, you go into the water industry, you start an apprenticeship, you build those skill sets, and before you know it, you're going to be in a great career that's never going away."

To learn more about the NRWA Apprenticeship Program, please visit https://nrwa.org/apprenticeship-program/.

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