US EPA and Department of Veterans Affairs to Connect Veterans with Jobs in Water Sectors

Worker at Water Plant: Water sector professionals are vital to protecting public health through the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants. They ensure that clean and safe water is consistently provided to the public. For this reason, EPA is concerned about predicted workforce losses to the industry through retirements. As stated in the Task Force on Workforce Sustainability Final Report (October 2008) (PDF) (27 pp, 256K, About PDF) published by the Water Environment Federation (WEF), “It’s projected that in the next 10 years, 37 percent of the water utility workers and 31 percent of wastewater utility workers will retire.” As a result, EPA, states and industry organizations are working to promote the water sector and ensure that there is a pool of qualified water professionals to meet current and future needs.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program announced today a memorandum of understanding to connect veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water and wastewater sectors -- such as at wastewater plants and drinking water facilities -- as part of EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative. Clean water and job placement for veterans are top priorities of the Obama Administration. This effort will be beneficial to both the environment and economy.

The agreement allows EPA and VA to connect qualified veteran employees with staffing needs at water and wastewater utilities. EPA and the VA will work with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water industries.

“This agreement comes at the perfect time to address the predicted workforce shortages in the water and wastewater industries and the need for transitioning veterans into civilian jobs,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “EPA believes that well-trained and experienced water sector professionals are vital to ensuring sustainable, properly operated systems.”

“VA has cultivated relationships with both public and private industry to ensure disabled veterans have opportunities to find and maintain meaningful employment,” said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “We are thrilled to forge this relationship with EPA to assist them with hiring veterans through our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program.”

More than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire within seven years and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all other occupations. EPA sees the need to invest now in creating a pipeline of future water sector professionals to fill these essential water sector careers.

VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program assists more than 100,000 disabled veterans annually prepare for, find, and maintain meaningful careers. Veterans are an important target group for water and wastewater utility jobs because many veterans already possess training and technical skills that are directly transferable to careers in the water sector. There is a wide spectrum of water sector careers that veterans could be qualified for, including engineering, laboratory and water science, operations and maintenance, management and administration, communications, and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed.

More on EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/ws_workforce.cfm

More about VA connecting qualified veterans with employer needs: http://www.vetsuccess.gov/

This news is from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  29 May 2012

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