LWA 20: Rural Water Association

Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance began an Apprenticeship program with the Illinois Rural Water Association after a referral from Illinois Department of Human Services — Rehabilitation Services. This project helped start a Water Systems Operation Specialist Apprenticeship with five water districts in Central Illinois. The water industry is unique in that it involves the daily responsibilities of public health protection, technical operations, and maintenance of critical but unseen infrastructure.

It takes more than 380,000 highly skilled water and wastewater personnel to ensure the public supply of safe drinking water and to protect our lakes, streams, and groundwater. Advancements in water treatment and supply technology have increased the skills and training required of individuals in this industry.  Water professionals are ultimately responsible for meeting stringent regulatory standards, replacing aging infrastructure, recruiting and training new operations specialists, and responding to and recovering from disaster. Jeff Tumiati, Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Illinois Water Association, said, “There is such a workforce shortage and this program has impacted each local community greatly, because, in two and one half years, each community will have a Water/Wastewater Specialist that can handle the operations of water facilities and support their infrastructure.”

In addition to increasing professional demands, utilities will soon be forced to replace many of their most experienced employees. Over the next decade, the water sector is expected to lose between 30 and 50 percent of the workforce due to retirement. Many of these employees have worked at the same facility for the majority of their careers and they will depart with decades of valuable institutional knowledge. Due to these issues, Tumiati stated, “Partnering with the workforce system is overall a great deal. This project impacted the apprentices in each community with financial help and resources that we did not otherwise know about. Also, Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance was very easy to work with and helped whenever we needed assistance.”

This innovative project is the perfect example of what the local workforce areas do throughout the State. This apprenticeship has led to the training and employment of five full-time Water Systems Operation Specialists. Their training and education, all due to partnering with Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance, will impact communities in Central Illinois for many years to come.