Water Utility Apprenticeship & Internship Program Partner (WIL Collaborator)

Workforce Intelligence Lab (WIL) is building partnerships with water and wastewater utilities, registered apprenticeship sponsors, and training providers to expand career pathways into water-sector trades. We are seeking organization leads and practitioners who can co-design and host internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or postsecondary bridge pathways with measurable placement outcomes.

This is a collaboration / affiliate track (not a single full-time hire). Engagement is scoped by project.

What you'll do

- Represent a utility, apprenticeship sponsor, labor partner, or training provider willing to co-deliver water-trades pathways

- Help define trainee cohorts, supervisors/mentors, and job-placement pathways into water/wastewater roles

- Share (non-proprietary) program design inputs: hours, credentials, safety/onboarding, and success metrics

- Coordinate letters of support / MOU language for joint workforce proposals when mutually agreed

- Optionally advise WIL on evaluation metrics for completion, placement, and retention

Requirements

• Required

  - Current role at a drinking water or wastewater utility, registered apprenticeship sponsor, labor organization, community college / technical school, or nonprofit training org serving the water sector

  - Authority (or a clear path to authority) to discuss partnership / host-site arrangements

  - Experience running or supporting internships, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, or bridge programs

  - Willingness to be considered for time-bounded collaboration (affiliate / consulting / institutional partnership)

  - Authorization to work with a U.S. nonprofit research organization

  Nice to have

  - Registered apprenticeship standards already in place for water/wastewater occupations

  - Track record of measurable trainee placements into utility jobs

  - Experience with federal or state workforce grants as a partner (not required)

  - Geographic focus you can host (city/region) and approximate annual trainee capacity

Benefits

What fellows receive

Research Fellows will have opportunities to:

• contribute to workforce intelligence reports and publications
• participate in applied workforce research initiatives
• gain exposure to operational workforce planning systems and labor market analysis
• contribute to workforce intelligence methodologies and frameworks
• build portfolio-quality workforce intelligence projects
• collaborate on workforce intelligence dashboards and operational labor analysis
• participate in workforce intelligence discussions with industry operators and advisors

As WIL expands, fellows may also have opportunities to participate in:

• expanded research collaborations
• advisory initiatives
• future grant-supported projects
• workforce intelligence publications and presentations