Faced with the impending retirement of hundreds of seasoned workers and a shortage of trained newcomers, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is producing its own next generation of water industry employees.

 At a November 18 ceremony in City Hall, DPW Director Rudy S. Chow, P.E., joined Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake in congratulating the 11 young adults who recently completed an eight-month job training program providing hands-on preparation for careers in the water industry.

This event celebrated the successful completion of this visionary career mentoring program, designed to introduce local young adults to career paths in the water industry.  Ten of the 2016 participants are now employed full-time with DPW, and one is working with a private water industry firm.

"As the major water supplier in the Baltimore region, it is important that DPW take a lead in training the next generation of workers in the water profession. Having a pipeline of water industry workers is vital to the health and well-being of our citizens and to our water customers,” said Director Chow.

Launched in 2015, the mentoring program provides real world, on-the-job-training and support from industry veterans to equip young workers with the skills needed to fill entry-level positions in the water field. The result is a pipeline of future water industry workers.

Director Chow described a “succession planning crisis in the water industry” as water providers nationwide grapple with how to replace the veteran water industry employees who are considering retirement within the next decade. He encouraged the graduates of the latest mentoring class to encourage their friends and school classmates to pursue training for the water industry.

In addition to basic job readiness training, this eight-month program provides opportunities to explore careers in the water industry; worksite tours and job shadowing; connection with a career coach/mentor; a summer job at DPW; and opportunities to interview for full-time, entry-level positions with DPW or private companies. 

The Baltimore City Water Industry Career Mentoring Program is sponsored by DPW and its program partners, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and the Chesapeake Water Environment Association (CWEA).

“The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development is pleased to work with the Department of Public Works to create sustainable job opportunities for Baltimore City residents,” said MOED Director Jason Perkins-Cohen. “We have formed a strong partnership that provides targeted training leading to viable careers in the water industry."

The mentoring program also owes much of its success to its strong partnership with CWEA, a trade group representing water industry professionals from Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

“The Baltimore City Career Mentorship Program is important to CWEA as it shares in our association mission to promote the value and importance of water while contributing to our local community. The partnership provides our membership with new and exciting ways to help prepare new applicants for the many career opportunities available in the industry,” Anna Santino, Mentorship Chair, Chesapeake Water Environment Association.