Preparing Students to Help Make a Difference: Careers in the Water Industry

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Preparing Students to Help Make a
DifferenceCareers in the Water Industry

• UC Santa Cruz Symposium
• January 29, 2008
• Cheryl K. Davis
• Chair, Workforce Development Task Force
• Bay Area Forum

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Goal of Workforce Development Task Force

• To find opportunities to increase the
  cost-effectiveness of workforce development
  investments through regional collaboration

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Industry Perspective on Workforce Development
Challenges

• Employment growth in water supply and sanitary
  services sector
• Drinking water and ancillary technologies
  increasingly complex
• Shrinking pool of available, technically skilled
  workers
• Strategic Assessment of the
• Future of Water Utilities
• Water Research Foundation, 2006

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A Reduced Labor Pool Can Be, At Best, Delayed But
Not Avoided
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Mission-Critical Functions at Risk
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West Coast Water Utility WorkshopMay 30, 2008

• Attended by 75 participants
• 15 water and wastewater utilities
• 1 power utility
• Department of Labor
• 1 workforce development board
• 1 community college district
• 2 professional water associations

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Findings from Pre-Conference Research

• Mission-Critical Classifications
• Water/Wastewater Treatment Operators
• Electricians/Electronic Maintenance
  Technicians/Instrument Technicians
• Engineers
• Mechanics/Machinists/Maintenance
• Transmission System Operations, Construction, and
  Maintenance
• Environmental
• Operation of Hydro-Electric Plants

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Water Sector Workforce Sustainability Initiative

• Collaborative effort of American Water Works
  Association
• and Water Research Foundation
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on
  Steering Committee
• Bay Area water and wastewater utilities
  participated in national workshop

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Roadmap for the Future

• Strategy 1 Get enough of the right people in
  mission-critical
• categories
• Strategy 2 Give staff the information they need
  to do quality
• work
• Strategy 3 Modify work processes to optimize
  available staffing
• Strategy 4 Maximize cost-effectiveness of
  workforce
• development investments through
  collaboration

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Identification of 5 Mission-Critical Job
Categories of Shared Concern

• Mechanic/Machinist
• Electrician Technician/Electrician
• Electronic Maintenance Technician/Instrument
  Technician
• Water Treatment Operator
• Wastewater Treatment Operator

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Workforce Development Task Force established
subcommittees to focuson two priorities

• Expansion of the Labor Force in 5
  Mission-Critical Job Categories
• Increased Use of Technology to Support Workforce
  Development Activities

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• WHY MIGHT YOUR STUDENTS BE INTERESTED IN CAREERS
  IN THE WATER INDUSTRY?
• HOW COULD YOU BEST PREPARE THEM FOR UPCOMING
  OPPORTUNITIES?

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Career Planning From A Triple Bottom Line
Perspective

• ECONOMIC Income, job stability
• ENVIRONMENTAL Opportunity for stewardship
• SOCIAL Ability to contribute to the community
  by protecting public health and safety

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Salaries for Key Craft Job Classifications
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San Francisco Public Utilities CommissionEntry
Level Annual Salary for Engineers
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Water Supply vs. the EnvironmentShelter Cove,
California
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San Franciscos Integrated Water Resource Planning
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In-stream Release into Tuolumne River
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In-stream Release into Pilarcitos Creek
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Removal of Obsolete Dams
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Environmental Stewardship ofWatershed Lands
Docent-Led Tours
Biological Monitoring
Field Training for Staff on Vegetation Species
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Alternatives Analysis Evaluation Criteria
Hydraulics
ROW
Geotechnical
Route Alignment
Project Coordination
Environmental
OM Philosophy
Schedule
Cost
GIS
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Endangered Species in Environmentally Sensitive
Areas
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Preferred Engineering Alternative
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Fish Protection Restoration
Pulgas Outfall Channel
Crystal Springs Reservoir
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Discharge into San Antonio Creek
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Potential Implications of Climate Change for
Water Management

• Shorter, warmer winters with precipitation
  falling more often as rain
• Earlier snowmelts, higher winter-time stream
  flows
• Increasing frequency of extreme events (flooding,
  droughts)
• Greater summertime water demands
• Greater water loss due to evaporation
• Impact of rising sea levels on wastewater
  treatment and effluent discharge facilities

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Environmental Analysis Tool

• The Natural Step
• The Ecological Footprint
• The Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED)
  Green Building Rating System

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• Cheryl K. Davis
• Manager, Workforce Development Initiative
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• ckd_at_sfwater.org
• [phone]