Resolving Workforce Challenges Of Water And Wastewater Utilities

Utilities across the nation are facing major challenges. Much of this is due to an aging workforce creating a departure of utility workers to retirement, and a loss of knowledge and skills. Estimates place the anticipated loss of current utility employees between 30 and 50 percent within the next 10 years. (Brueck, Isbell, O’Berry, & Brink, 2010) Added to this is the shift in the labor market resulting from the desire of leaders to “do more with less”, a more diverse workforce, fewer college graduates with degrees in the areas of science and technology, and a change in the value proposition required by the younger generation of employees entering the workforce.This paper will explore how large and small water utilities can effectively address their personnel and knowledge retention challenges through both internal and external workforce development. Workforce development is the process of analyzing and enhancing the capabilities of the workforce so that the utility is able to successfully meet the needs of customers. It includes creating training and education programs designed to ensure that the requisite skills exist to accomplish the strategic priorities and building an extended workforce strategy where internal employees are in best fit jobs and provided with career development opportunities, and external workers, equipped with project-specific skills, are enabling organizations to be nimbler.The document will consider a viable extended workforce strategy that ensures external workers are as engaged and high performing as the utilities internal workforce; opportunities for collaboration with other utilities, as well as school systems, technical colleges and universities, and community based organizations; and real-world approaches to address recruitment and retention issues. Such proven and effective practices will improve operations and move water and wastewater utilities toward sustainability.