PathWAY for High School Students to Become Operators of the Future

The water and wastewater industry is on the verge of a workforce crisis. Highly-skilled, experienced operators are leaving the workforce and taking with them decades of knowledge. There are currently not enough operators to replenish the exiting workforce. Utilities are trying to find ways to recruit, retain, and train new operators. In South Carolina, Central Carolina Technical College (CCTC) and Apprenticeship Carolina ™ are partnering with utilities and high schools to develop youth apprenticeship programs. Recruiting younger operators into the industry is a challenge across the country. CCTC's PathWAY - Water Apprenticeships for Youth - combines college credit courses and an opportunity for high school students to work at a local utility as a youth apprentice in a registered US Department of Labor (USDOL) Youth Apprenticeship program. PathWAY allows high school students to take online college courses in water or wastewater operations. These “dual enrollment” courses are an opportunity for students to earn college credits and possibly high school credits. Youth Apprenticeships are rigorous programs for high school students that combine job related education with mentored on-the-job learning. In the PathWAY program, high school students enrolled in CCTC's dual enrollment program can be registered as a Plant Operator Youth Apprentice while working at a local utility for hands-on experience. This presentation will include the benefits and roles of the PathWAY program for high school students, the utility, and the industry. The presentation will discuss the dual enrollment process and courses, the apprenticeship core components and the incorporation of ABC's Need-to-Know criteria in the youth apprenticeship program.