Water and Wastewater Workforce Needs Assessment Survey Underway by Municipal Water District of Orange County Jun 28, 2022 Member Submitted News In 2020, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) assumed leadership of the Water Energy Education Alliance (WEEA or Alliance). WEEA was originally formed in 2018 to establish partnerships between education and industry leaders looking to build and strengthen career pathways to water and energy jobs for Southern California high school students. Since then, the Alliance has grown significantly under MWDOC’s leadership. It is now a collation of nearly 60 professional organizations statewide that include water, wastewater, and energy providers, departments of education, school districts, colleges, technical trade schools, and more. Over the next decade, the number of California residents aged 65 and older is expected to double, reaching 8.6 million. As the last of the Baby Boomers reach retirement age, senior citizens are the fastest-growing demographic, and many of those impending retirements will directly impact the water, wastewater, and energy industry sector. Coupled with job losses and early retirements on the rise due to impacts associated with COVID-19, water, wastewater, and energy agencies brace for the gaps left by industry professionals who proudly and skillfully served our California communities for decades. However, over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear to the Alliance that despite increased interest in workforce solutions, reliable workforce data isn’t readily available to stimulate the urgency needed to support and prioritize building new, sustainable learning pathways. And so, WEEA has initiated a workforce needs assessment survey with the Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research (COE). The COE is a part of the Workforce and Economic Development Division that supports California community colleges by providing customized data on high-growth, emerging, and economically-critical industries and occupations. Under the guidance of Alliance leaders from Southern California and Northern California’s BAYWORK, an informational, foundational survey has been developed and is being executed. Water and wastewater agencies are being called statewide to complete the survey, which will offer a better picture of our industry’s workforce needs, challenges, and gaps over the next several years. Survey results are expected in November 2022. Developing new workforce pathways benefits industry and educational institutions, young students, and their future families. Please inform your Human Resources Department that they will be receiving a call to complete this important foundational survey. If you have questions or would rather receive a direct link to the survey, please contact Tiffany Baca at tbaca@mwdoc.com or (714) 593-5013. WEEA is administered by MWDOC and sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Moulton Niguel Water District, Water Replenishment District of Southern California, Western Municipal Water District, and most recently, Eastern Municipal Water District. The Alliance receives active support from the California Environmental Education Foundation, California Community Colleges, and Big Picture Learning.