The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) developed a three-part webcast series on Overcoming Today's Workforce Challenges and Preparing for the Future
Webcast 1: Navigating Recruitment, Awareness, and Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce
- We Need You: Navigating “Front Line” Utility Staff Recruitment and Awareness (Operator, Maintenance, Electrician, Laboratory, etc.)
- We Need You: Navigating Recruitment and Awareness (Consulting, Engineer, In-House and Admin Staffing, Regulatory, etc.)
- The Great Divide: Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce
Registration Free of Cost
For questions, please email WLI@wef.org
You can earn 1.5 General Contact Hours by attending this webcast or watching the recording in the WEF Learning Center after the live date.
Learn more about the remaining Webcasts in the WLI Overcoming Today's Workforce Challenges and Preparing for the Future Webcast Series at www.wef.org/WorkforceChallenges
REGISTER NOW for the recording
- 2:00 p.m. ET We Need You: Navigating “Front Line” Utility Staff Recruitment and Awareness (Operator, Maintenance, Electrician, Laboratory, etc.)
The value of water is undeniable – we literally depend on the safety and reliability of our water services daily; yet the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a significant decline in job growth for the water industry over the next 10 years at an alarming rate.
It is essential that our utility owners change course to establish a sustainable and skilled workforce capable of meeting the evolving demands of the water industry. The future of our water infrastructure depends on our ability to address these workforce challenges and foster a workforce that is passionate, dedicated, and equipped to tackle the water-related issues of tomorrow.
Developed and Delivered by: Andres Ward, Sarasota County Public Utilities; Benn Sherman, Town of Uxbridge; Bianca Pinto, Water Environment Federation; Corwin Washington, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO); Julia Matton, WCS Engineering; Sara Igielski, Carollo Engineers
- 2:30 p.m. ET We Need You: Navigating Recruitment and Awareness (Consulting, Engineer, In-House and Admin Staffing, Regulatory, etc.)
The water sector is on the cusp of a new era. Whether it be aging infrastructure requiring upgrades, the ever-evolving regulatory landscape, or resiliency needs – many factors are sure to lead to a surplus of projects and influx of funding. But how does our industry define the current workforce challenges, broaden its workforce, and recruit technical staff to successfully accomplish the work?
New and innovative recruiting approaches are required if we as an industry are serious about not only meeting the demands of today but getting ahead of what is coming next. This webinar will discuss a few strategies to mitigate workforce challenges.
Developed and Delivered by: Archana Sharma, Mead and Hunt; Ashok Perera, Atkins North America; Jacob "Jake" Whited, Arcadis; Karen Steele, Oklahoma Dept. of Environmental Quality; Lisa Derrigan, GHD; Tshoganetso Masunga, Consultant
- 3:00 p.m. ET The Great Divide: Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce
Today’s water sector consists of five generations working together: GenZ, Millennials, Generation X, Boomers, and the Silent Generation. Appreciating the contrast of skillsets, values, and aspirations across generations is crucial for leaders to successfully engage multi-generational teams (MGTs).
Insights into the attitude towards, opinions of, and experiences with MGTs from employees of each generation are informed by interview and survey results and studies in the literature. We will discuss how leaders can effectively engage their MGTs and take advantage of each respective generation’s strengths by mastering the following tools and techniques.
Developed and Delivered by: Blayne Johnson, Trinity River Authority of Texas; Daylen Smith, Meta; Ethan Yen, Black & Veatch; Kelsey McWilliams, Point of Shift; Kieyona Bailey, Great Lakes Water Authority; Sophia Gupta, AECOM
This series was developed as part of the final project for the Water Leadership Institute (WLI) 2023 and will take place throughout August 2023. The WLI 2023 consists of 54 participants from around the US, Canada, and Botswana.
