SKILL PANEL REPORT California's Water Industry - Cuyamaca ...

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SKILL PANEL REPORT California’s Water Industry6IS CERTIFICATION ALIGNEDWITH THE WATER INDUSTRY?PanelFindingsIssues• Job seekers and instructors find certification structure confusing• Certification, colleges and industry not working collaborativelyRecommendations• No micro credentials• Help students combine multiple industry recorgnzied certificates• Mid-career pathways• Coordinate AWWA, CWEA, college and utility trainingComments“We already have a plethora ofcredentials.”“I need a roadmap of certifications.”“Whether to get certified in water orwastewater is the most common email Iget.”“What should we say to people? Whichcertificate? Match certificates to jobs.”“We don’t ask for a certificate. We ask forcertification.”“Bay area employers want the collegecertificate.”“Community colleges are for studentswanting to get into the industry andassociations are for continuingeducation.”“Let’s be honest. We all compete fortrainees.”“AWWA is recognized nationally andinternationally.”26
SKILL PANEL REPORT California’s Water Industry“We already have aplethora of credentials.”i.e.NO MICRO-CREDENTIALSWhile the panel recognizes the educational goals of micro-credentials — to helpjob seekers earn and stack credentials within one year — they see more harmthan good in adding new credentials to a certification system that is alreadyconfusing to students, instructors and employees alike. It is important to note,too, that current water industry certificates meet micro-credential goals. Therecommended preparation for the Grade 2 Certification Exam in waterdistribution or water treatment is two or three 8-week courses. Each course is 3units and total time in class is 144 hours. Water industry certificates arestackable, too.“Whether to getcertified in water orwastewater is the mostcommon email I get.”i.e.ALIGNMENT WITHTHE INDUSTRYThe industry is more than water and wastewater. In 2002, the Californialegislature passed the Integrated Regional Water Management Act to encouragewater utilities to collaboratively manage water quality and reliability. The sameyear, Californians passed Proposition 50, which provided $500,000,000 to fundcompetitive grants for integrated water projects. This year, integrated regionalwater management appears to be gaining traction:The San Diego City Council approved an indirect potable reuse projectto provide up to 40% of the city’s water supply. The key to approval?The project reduces the need for upgrades to the city’s wastewatertreatment plant, saving about $1,000 per acre foot of water. 18In its 2013 Report Card on American Infrastructure, the AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers recognizes cities that are using greeninfrastructure solutions to reduce combined sewer overflows. 19The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation turned a nine acre, underutilizedmaintenance yard into a stormwater wetland park, creating recreationalgreenscape in a disadvantaged community. 20These three examples show how utilities are now managing water, wastewater,stormwater and land use in a single project. In an interview with Brown &Caldwell, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation’s assistant director, AdelHagekhalil, describes how far integration goes:27
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