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Get Into Water! Sector Project - Building a Skilled Workforce for Colorado's Water Industry

Learn about the Get Into Water! Sector Project, an industry-led initiative in the Denver metro region that aims to attract, train, and retain personnel for the water and wastewater industry. Discover the history, mission, and partners involved in this project.

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Get Into Water! Sector Project - Building a Skilled Workforce for Colorado's Water Industry

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  1. GET INTO WATER!Sector ProjectMetro Denver Region

  2. History of the Get Into Water Sector Project • In 2009, the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) rolled out the SECTRS (Strategies to Enhance Colorado’s Talent through Regional Solutions) grants to industry-led regional partnerships. • Two phases to the grant process: • Phase I was the Planning Grant • Phase II was the Implementation Grant. • Sector initiatives are industry-led, regional partnerships that address employers’ needs for skilled workers, and workers’ needs for good jobs. Sector initiatives focus intensively on the workforce needs of a specific industry over a sustained period, often concentrating on specific occupations, and always engaging multiple employers to analyze industry needs and design customized solutions.

  3. WHAT IS GET INTO WATER? • Get Into Water! is an alliance of Colorado-based utilities, workforce centers, educators and other partners to attract people to work in the water industry • Mission: The water and wastewater industry will sufficiently recruit, train and retain personnel to ensure mission-critical positions are filled with qualified, trained & technically skilled employees

  4. WHAT IS A SECTORS PROJECT? • Industry-led; funded by Colorado Department of Labor and Employment • Designed to: • Help the state and its businesses stay strong and diverse • Build a Gold Collar and STEM-ready workforce that is essential to sustaining the state economy • Help fill the gap left by the 1.2 million 65+ workers estimated to retire in the next two decades • Offer a “Grow Our Own” solution

  5. Get Into Water Project Partnership • The City and County of Denver Office of Economic Development Workforce, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Boulder County and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) received a planning grant for the period of June 2009 to November 2009. Funding under this planning grant was used in a partnership between Colorado’s water and wastewater management providers, workforce development agencies and water associations to address the acute need for new skilled sector workers within the context of a systematic super-regional plan. The planning process included: • Gathering and analyzing national & local labor market data • Developing an industry engagement plan • Facilitating the development of key strategies • Researching best practices for the key strategies • Creating a local education & training inventory • Gathering industry marketing & outreach material • Completing the final report from data collected to develop sector strategic plan

  6. Colorado-Water Career Clusters Map Architecture and Construction Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Clusters • Design and Pre-construction: • Environmental Engineer • Environmental Engineering Technician • Electrical Engineer • Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technician • Mechanical Engineer • Civil Engineer • Maintenance Operations: • Electrician • Plumber • Wastewater Maintenance Technician • Water Maintenance Technician • Maintenance Mechanic • Maintenance Manager • Instrumentation Technician • I&C Technician • SCADA Technician • GIS Technician • Engineering and Technology: • Civil Engineer • Electrical Engineer • Mechanical Engineer • Water Treatment Engineer • Environmental Engineer • Electrician • Electronics Technician • Project Engineer • Power, Structural and Technical Systems: • Electronics Systems Technicians • Waste Water Plant Operator • Water Plant Operator • Distribution System Operator • High-Tech Operator • Plant Operator • Collection Operator • Industrial Waste Operator Pathways • Construction: • Plumber • Technician • Science and Math: • Biologist • Chemist • Conservation Scientist • Hydrologist • Laboratory Technician • Microbiologist • Natural Resources Systems • Water Monitoring Technician • Hydrologists • Watershed Manager • Recommended Additions in Italics • Get Into Water! Focus Occupations in Orange • Power, Structural and Technical Systems: • Electronics Systems Technicians • Waste Water Plant Operator • Water Plant Operator • Distribution System Operator • High-Tech Operator • Plant Operator • Collection Operator • Industrial Waste Operator • Environmental Service Systems • Environmental Sampling and Analysis Scientists/Technicians • Water Environment Manager • Water Quality Manager • Waste Water Manager • Environmental Manager • Conservation Manager

  7. THE PARTNERS: Workforce Centers • Arapahoe/Douglas Works • City and County of Denver Economic Development-Workforce Development • Workforce Boulder County

  8. POSITIONS MARKETED ON CONNECTING COLORADO • (The Sectors grant gets “credit”) http://www.connectingcolorado.com/

  9. Arapahoe County W/WW Authority Cities of Englewood/Littleton City of Aurora City of Lafayette City of Boulder Denver Water Metro W/W Parker Water & Sanitations District Southgate Water District Rural Community Assistance Corporation Town of Castle Rock Business Partners: Utilities Serving as Members of the Industry Advisory Council

  10. RESEARCH Primary Data: Colorado Workforce Survey (Although a four-county project, survey sent to all Colorado utilities) AWWA State of the Industry Report Water Research Foundation Reports Utility-Specific Data from Industry Advisory Council Occupation Data and Related Available Workforce

  11. RESEARCH

  12. RESEARCH

  13. COLORADO WATER WORKFORCE SURVEYQ9/10: Employee shortage next 3-5 years

  14. COLORADO WATER WORKFORCE SURVEYQ11: Concern over addressing issues in next 3-5 years

  15. COLORADO WATER WORKFORCE SURVEYQ12: Level of risk to organization

  16. THE FOCUS: Operations Employees Get Into Water! focuses on recruiting and training:       • Drinking Water Treatment Operators • Wastewater Treatment Plant operators • Wastewater Collection Operators • Water Distribution Operators • Plant Maintenance Technicians • SCADA/Instrument Control Operators

  17. OPERATIONS FOCUS • The Industry Advisory Council (IAC), comprised of Front Range water and wastewater utilities, desires to focus exclusively on these operations-level positions. We intend to focus on sustainable programs and activities that will add value to employers and potential employees at times of high and low unemployment.

  18. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • GOAL #1: Training • The Front Range water and wastewater utilities will conduct and promote training programs to ensure mission critical positions are filled with qualified, trained and technically skilled personnel. • GOAL #2: Outreach and Recruitment • The Front Range water and wastewater utilities will conduct adequate outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure interest in, and attraction to, mission-critical positions.

  19. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • GOAL # 3:HR/Operations Collaboration • The Front Range water and wastewater utilities will enhance collaboration, education and communication between operations staff and human resource professionals to create a positive culture for workforce development. • GOAL #4:Knowledge Management • The Front Range water and wastewater utilities will conduct knowledge management and employee retention efforts to ensure mission critical personnel have the knowledge and skills to operate effectively.

  20. BOULDER WATER UTILITY SCIENCE PROGRAM-Some of the Students

  21. Promotional Plan Website Video Press Releases Brochures Posters (for schools) Career Fairs Weekly Project Updates Quarterly Newsletter Colorado Dept. Public Health and Environment AquaTalk PROMOTIONS/COMMUNICATIONS

  22. Posters in all high schools and much more…. GET TRAINED. GET CERTIFIED. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

  23. THE WEBSITE: getintowaterco.org Welcome to a Career in the Water Industry! A career in the water industry can be among the most rewarding and gratifying ways to make a living.  And the water industry has positions available! The water industry has careers available with utilities, cities, counties and special districts in positions such as engineering, management, customer service and operations. Get Into Water! is an alliance of Colorado-based utilities, workforce centers, educators and other partners to attract people to work in the water industry. Get Into Water! is for youth and adults living in Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver or Douglas counties who are seeking a first-time career path or a career change. Home page Youth Adults HRO Open Forum Student Activities Work For Water Partners and Links About/Contact Us Volunteer Team Room

  24. KEY FINDINGS: The 12-Month Mark • Training • Employees lack an understanding of system-wide utility operations issues, especially in larger utilities • High school seniors can “get it” • Water Utility Science Program • School districts and community colleges want to help • 1+2 Articulation Agreements • Communication (a common language) is key • Industry guiding education

  25. KEY FINDINGS : The 12-Month Mark • Training (cont.) • SCADA/Instrument Control positions are at high risk and little is understood about the landscape • Six targeted positions • There is demand for core training leading to certification • CDPHE 2015 Training Strategy • Boulder Lifelong Learning • Development of core curriculum-for Level I certifications

  26. KEY FINDINGS : The 12-Month Mark • Training (cont.) • Water Utility Science Plan of Study

  27. KEY FINDINGS : The 12-Month Mark (cont.) Using data to address the right problems… • Utility permit failures • “…the most frequent cause of failure was related to a distribution system deficiency and constituted 43 (28%) of all Acute Team responses.” • State of Colorado distribution exam pass rates • Level 1: 57% • Level 2: 47% • Level 3: 30% • Level4: 17% • GIW work plan now integrated with State training plan (Source: CDPHE Failure & Root Cause Analysis Report)

  28. KEY FINDINGS : The 12-Month Mark • HR/Operations • These professionals want to spend time solving problems together • We have system-wide issues related to certification • “HR is too focused on the process instead of a quality outcome (employee)” • “We need to open up the barriers to communication and form stronger partnerships between HR and operations professionals”

  29. KEY FINDINGS: The 12-Month Mark • HR/Operations (cont.) • Job description templates are in high demand • Career mapping and competency modeling are critical to recruit and motivate new workers • Building on AWWA work • Certification preparation classes are being offered at some utilities and other extensive training is offered but many Distribution employees still can’t pass certification exams

  30. KEY FINDINGS : The 12-Month Mark (cont.) • Outreach/ Recruitment • Our industry is unknown!

  31. Dawn Gardner Arapahoe/Douglas Works! DGardner@co.arapahoe.co.us (303) 636-1275 ------- Melanie Fahrenbruch, M.Ed.MJF Consulting, LLC mel@mjfconsult.com (303) 912-3358

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