Workforce Development

With approximately 1200 water-related positions opening in the Northern Georgia region over the next 5 years, action is needed to recruit, train, and diversify our future water workforce to best serve and represent their communities.

The Water Tower is committed to assisting utilities in meeting their personnel and training needs to ensure that essential water, wastewater and stormwater services continued to be delivered. Our workforce initiatives range from recruitment to training to placement to upskilling with programming covering a variety of topics, over multiple platforms. In general, our focus is to get students out of the classroom and into the field to experience real-life situations in a controlled manner and we have designed our campus to allow for these hands on experiences.

Recruitment

TWT has actively partnered with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and regional school districts to create active recruitment programming to feed into our Trainee Programs, beginning in fall 2021.

Training

TWT-developed programming is intended to augment traditional week-long classes, like those offered by the Georgia Water Wastewater Institute (GWWI) and Heavy Equipment College of America. We offer the following programming for Water and Wastewater Operators, Lab Analyst, Maintenance Technicians, and Field Technicians:

Exam Prep

These courses are meant for students who have already taken the required 40-hour class but need additional assistance to pass the exam. This 6-week course is designed to take a student through critical knowledge and skills exercises to better prepare them for the exam. Practice exams will be used to tailor course materials. Courses run for 2 hours, twice a week, for 6 weeks. Format will include classroom, online and in the field training, including active heavy equipment operations for the Field Technicians.

Trainee Programs

TWT has developed Part and Full Time Trainee Programs for Water and Wastewater Operators and Maintenance Technicians.

Full Time Trainees – This is a four-month, full time trainee program, culminating with the GWWI 40-hour course. This blended learning program will include classroom, online and hands-on experience. This course is executed in partnership with a sponsor utility. Our detailed curriculum will help alleviate the stress of plant personnel having to supervise a trainee full time while performing their own duties. The weekly schedule combines classroom (in person or virtual) and online courses under TWT direction and provides guidance to the sponsor supervisor on the hands-on skills development activities that should be the focus of one-on-one interactions that week.

Part Time Trainee – A long trainee program, over 8-months, allowing students to maintain another job, or focus half of their work week to the program. This program can be executed like the Full Time Trainee Program in concert with a sponsor utility, or by coming taking the course at TWT.

Recertification Requirements

View our Calendar and Register for Training Courses

Upskilling

Professional Development

TWT in partnership with Julius Education, a leading training organization, have developing water industry trainings to help you succeed in your role and career!

These courses include:

New Middle Management Supervisors in Water Utilities: Becoming a supervisor or manager in a water utility is an important responsibility that can help shape the future of your career and your organization. This online course series will help you prepare for common opportunities and challenges you will face in your role. The course includes management case studies from water utility environments, and leadership material developed at Harvard Business School.

Self-paced? Yes! So, you can learn on your schedule.
Video lessons? Yes!
Length? ~15 hours
Featured Expert: Professor Quinn Mills, Harvard Business School
Continuing Education Credit (CEU) eligible? Yes! And already approved in Georgia by the Georgia State Board of Examiners for Certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Laboratory Analysts.

Demystifying Digital Twins for the Water Industry: With so much focus on technology innovation and a flurry of hype about opportunities to create a Digital Twin, this first-of-its-kind course takes you from the beginning and explains exactly what a Digital Twin is and how it can be useful. The course includes video lessons from Gigi Karmous-Edwards, a leading authority on Digital Twins, and is also brought to you by SWAN.

Self-paced? Yes! So you can learn on your schedule.
Video lessons? Yes!
Length? 1.5 – 2 hours
Featured Expert: Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Founder of SWAN Digital Twin for H2O Work Group

Skills Development

360Water Courses

TWT has an online library of Georgia State approved courses covering water, wastewater, collections, O&M and safety topics. Each 2-hour course, approved for 1 CEU, is self-directed with auto bookmarking and quizzes/tests. TWT is able to track and report student activities. Contact info@theh2otower.org for information on signing up for 36Water courses.

Placement

We have several utility partners who have expressed interest in hiring trainees from our programs. TWT will help soon-to-be graduates prepare video resumes for utility review and to locate and apply for water industry positions in the region. If you are interested in being part of our potential placement network, please contact info@theh2otower.org.

Partners

GWWI Prime Power Heavy Equipment College of America

GWWI

The Georgia Water & Wastewater Institute (GWWI) is a subsidiary of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) dedicated to improving water professional ability through training. They provide certification training for Georgia Water and Wastewater Operators, GAWP Maintenance Technologies, and GAWP Backflow Tester. All of these courses are available at TWT throughout the year.

Prime Power

Prime Power leverages its more than 30 years as a leading emergency power provider to train and certify technicians in the emergency power supply systems (EPSS) and related industries including the water and wastewater industry. Taught by some of the most respected and knowledgeable experts in the emergency power world, our programs combine classroom work, both in person and eLearning, with hands-on practice.

Heavy Equipment College of America

Heavy Equipment College of America offers a variety of programs designed to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in heavy equipment operations. Courses include Level 1, covering the basics, Level II, advancing those skills, as well as a TWT-specific course focused on water utility collections and distribution skills. These courses will be held at TWT beginning in November 2021 and will be held monthly.

With a 48-year-old median age of water employees, 30-50 percent of our water workforce will be eligible to retire within the next 5-10 years.

There are many different career paths available in the water industry. Click the presentation below to explore water-related careers and hear from real professionals across the country about how they got involved in water.