Workforce Challenges and Opportunities in the Drinking Water and Wastewater Sectors

Transcription

1 Workforce Challenges and Opportunities in the Drinking Water and Wastewater Sectors Andrew Kricun, P.E., BCEE Executive Director/Chief Engineer Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority November 15, 2017

2 Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, Camden, NJ Services 500,000 customers in Southern NJ Design Flow: Average Flow: 80 MGD 58 MGD Secondary, pure oxygen activated sludge treatment Discharges to Delaware River 2

3 The greater good of the world is largely due to the unhistoric acts of the faithful men and women who may rest in unvisited tombs. George Eliot 3

4 Water utilities also have many opportunities to contribute to the greater good, above and beyond their core public health and environmental protection responsibilities 4

5 Clean Water Utilities Serving as Anchor Institutions in Their Communities Host Community Rate Relief Community Service Activities Green Infrastructure Green Jobs Environmental Education 5

6 Camden SMART City of Camden Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority Cooper s Ferry Development Association New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Rutgers Cooperative Extension NJ Tree Foundation 6

7 Camden Collaborative Initiative 7

8 Phoenix Park Project- Before 8

9 Phoenix Park Project- After 9

10 Baldwin s Run Stream Daylighting Project- Before 10

11 Baldwin s Run Stream Daylighting Project- After 11

12 Green Jobs Opportunities Power Corps- partnership with AmeriCorps to provide green infrastructure maintenance jobs and life skills training to 180 at-risk young men & women over 3 years Green Ambassadors- partnership with EPA, NPS and others to provide green jobs over the summer for Camden high school students with an interest in environmental science 12

13 Water Sector Workforce Challenges Across the sector, many utilities have worker populations in which 50% or more of the baby boomers are eligible for retirement within the next 5 years Finding replacement workers has been very difficult, nationwide Adequate manpower is essential to provide our 24/7 water treatment services effectively 13

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15 and Opportunities Workforce retirements mean job openings Water and wastewater treatment plants are located in communities, rural & urban, where jobs are needed There is a tremendous, once in a generation, opportunity to train residents to fill water sector job openings in their own communities. 15

16 Examples of Jobs Available Water treatment operators Water distribution operators Wastewater treatment plant operators Wastewater collection system operators Electricians Machinists IT Technicians Engineers 16

17 High Quality Jobs Available Average hourly wage for a water utility worker - $36.48 Benefits Stability jobs cannot be outsourced elsewhere Pension opportunities 17

18 How to Convert Challenge into Opportunity National training programs in vocational/technical high schools and community colleges National operator certifications/licenses to provide a portable credential Green jobs, such as green infrastructure maintenance training 18

19 Water Agency Leaders Alliance (WALA) 19

20 Water Agency Leaders Alliance (WALA) Activities U.S. Conference of Mayors Resolution for Workforce grant programs and a Federal interagency task force to support utility career pipelines Federal Water Workforce Legislation to create and find a water workforce development program Brookings Institute- preparing a report to develop a national water workforce initiative 20

21 Water Infrastructure Gap Challenges and Opportunities American Society of Civil Engineers rated: Wastewater Infrastructure D+ Water Infrastructure - D Recent storms have shown that our infrastructure is inadequate for how the climate already is, even if it doesn t change any further By investing in our water infrastructure, and closing the infrastructure gap, we will protect the public health and the environment and we will create thousands of construction jobs 21

22 Conclusions: There is a tremendous opportunity to invest in training people to fill the water and wastewater job openings available in their very own communities. We must not miss this once in a generation window of opportunity The Water Agency Leaders Alliance (WALA) would welcome the opportunity to partner with the National League of Cities to fill these job openings and to restore our infrastructure in order to protect the public health and the environment. 22

23 Thanks for Listening! If you would like more information, please contact: Andrew Kricun, P.E., BCEE Executive Director/Chief Engineer Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority Camden, NJ (856)