The Next Wave: Building Tomorrow’s Water Workforce

As originally published in Current’s ReNEWsletter.

Water has always been a precious resource. Today, it’s also a promising career opportunity.

That’s because there is a growing demand for skilled water workers to ensure our access to clean drinking water and safe wastewater management for public health.

But a massive wave of retirements looms. According to US Water Alliance, a majority of the 300,000 water utility positions nationwide will need to be filled over the next decade.

The developing blue economy

The water sector encompasses companies that develop and deliver technologies, products, and services that manage the movement, quality, and use of water. And it’s a growing sector. In Illinois alone, the water cluster is a $16.7 billion industry supporting more than 186,000 jobs. The state’s blue economy is even broader, spanning the inputs and end-users of the water cluster and employing more than 1.5 million people—approximately 30% of the 6.5 million in Illinois’ workforce.

With strategic proximity to 20% of the world’s fresh water, the Great Lakes region has the opportunity to be a leader in the blue economy.

It all begins with STEM education

Building tomorrow’s water workforce often starts in the classroom, where students build skills to meet the evolving challenges of the water sector.

“STEM education is the connection between education, workforce development, and economic development,” said Jan Morrison, founder and CEO of TIES. An Ohio-based ReNEW partner, TIES (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM) makes STEM education accessible to everyone, especially underserved and underrepresented learners.

Since its founding in 2002, TIES has worked with school districts in nearly every state to design meaningful and connected STEM career pathways and experiences. This includes over 200 partnerships that together have served more than 20,000 organizations in advancing STEM education.

To Morrison, STEM education is a powerful force for economic mobility. But not everyone has access. “Young people are born with the desire to do good and to be stewards of our planet. We’re working with schools and partners to give children and communities access to STEM education and knowledge that otherwise they would lack.”

Training and retraining

While K-12 education is critical, building a water workforce isn’t just about educating tomorrow’s leaders. It’s also about closing today’s skills gaps.

These critical gaps are driven by both the aging workforce and the growing complexity of infrastructure and systems. There is a need to address these gaps—while at the same time creating opportunities for individuals interested in entering or gaining more experience in the water sector.

“A single company will not have enough work to truly diversify the workforce,” said Jay Rowell, executive director of HIRE360 Partners, which strengthens Illinois’ workforce by focusing on increasing participation by underrepresented populations in the trades. HIRE360 also urges youth to consider the trades as a viable career path. Since 2020, the organization has placed more than 500 individuals in Chicago’s trade unions.

With ReNEW, HIRE360 has forged new partnerships to ramp up apprenticeship opportunities, workforce programs, and hiring efforts. “You have to broaden your focus industry-wide to really effect change. Current has convened a broad, ambitious initiative with ReNEW, with partners from research, education, workforce, and industry,” Rowell emphasized.

Lindsay Blumer, CEO and president of WRTP | BIG STEP, agreed. “The first step is exposure to help people understand that water work is a viable, long-term career pathway, with reputable companies offering family-supporting wages and benefits.”

The Wisconsin-based organization helps public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce. With Wisconsin’s deep roots in manufacturing, the organization also focuses on connecting people to the manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow to build the sector in the state.

In 2023, WRTP | BIG STEP supported over 450 employers and nearly 2,100 people; of those individuals, 59% were people of color and 12% women, and 79% of them secured family-sustaining careers within six months of completing their training.

“Our work ensures that we are both protecting the resources we love and want to keep for generations to come, but that we are also encouraging economic development that brings good jobs to our communities,” Blumer said.

Inspiring a love of water

Put simply, developing tomorrow’s water workforce also requires sparking inspiration. “Why do we love water?” asked TIES’ Morrison. “It’s because we experienced it at an early age by boating or going to the beach at the lake. That’s not always happening now, and there is often no history or culture around water.”

She explained that TIES is changing that through access. “Programs that give kids opportunities for hands-on activities and field trips provide the access to and connection with water that often has been missing.”

“Partners like TIES, HIRE360 and WRTP | BIG STEP are key to realizing the full promise of ReNEW,” noted Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current and Great Lakes ReNEW. “Together we’re building a stronger, more equitable water workforce across ReNEW’s region of service.”