UNET is a Utilities Network developed to provide hands-on opportunities for students enrolled in on-line college courses in the Water Training Institute program. 

UNET Expression of Interest forms are found at the bottom of this page on the left.

What Does UNET Do?

Utilities in UNET provide a variety of opportunities for WTI students, including:

• Provide facility access for tours/observation of treatment processes, distribution/collections systems operations
  
• Provide training in specific treatment processes/operations
  
• Allow access to laboratory facilities for observation/training
  
• Allow staff to be involved in mentoring of WTI students
  
• Provide internship opportunities for WTI students in both operations and management
  
• Work with trade associations to develop scholarships for WTI students
  
• Participate in local outreach opportunities to promote the WTI program and inform the public about the need for operators in the industry
• Other objectives not listed here, depending on the individual utility's interests and facilities

Try It, Buy It

(by Ted J. Rulseh, published in TPO, April 2010)

When interviewing treatment operators for stories in this magazine, I usually ask, "How did you get involved in this profession?" Suprisingly often, the answer is some variation on, "I needed a job." Sure, many people choose the water business out of pure interest, or out of a passion to do good for the environment.

Many others - some of whom "grow up" to be outstanding operators and leaders - come to the profession almost by chance, often intending to use it as a bridge to something else. But then they take an interest. They stay. And they make it a career.

And maybe right there is a partial answer to the challenge the industry faces in recruiting new people to replace the many verterans planning to retire in the coming years. In a word: Internships.

Can you say 'intern'?

Internships are common in just about every industry. They're offered to high school, technical college or university students as part of their preparation for careers. No doubt even some water agencies offer them.

Why are internships potentially more valuabe for water professions than for others? Because young people don't gravitate toward water and wastewater treatment the way they do toward electronics, computer programming, engineering, banking, graphic design, journalism, etc.

In fact, let's face it: to many young people (people of any age, for that matter), wastewater treatment sounds boring, demeaning, even repulsive. Of course, it actually is none of those, as people who try it soon discover. So why not let more young folks try it?

The doorway in

Traditional recruitment tools - talking to guidance counselors, exhibiting at job fairs, conducting tours for high school and college classes - are fine as far as they go. But they rarely go far enough. How about offering internships, real hands-on work for a summer, to kids who simply "need a job"?

These days espcially, many students need a job. A treatment plant that advertised for summer internships would almost surely get an abundance of inquiries, especially with a well-worded solicitation. So you take in the applications. You screen for those who seem inclined toward a profession that involves science, math, and mechanical and technical aptitue. And you choose the best candidate.

You end up not just telling or showing a young person. You end up letting them live the experience long enough for genuine interest to take hold.

Costs and Benefits

I can hear it already: There's no money in the budget for another person. And what would an intern do besides get in the way?

First of all, internships don't cost a lot. High school or college students on summer or part-time jobs for for low pay, especially when they know they're gaining experience that will give them an advantage in the job market. And as for daily tasks, how many treatment plants have the staff to get at all the little things that need doing? An extra pair of hands surely wouldn't hurt.

What's more, it can be satisfying to staff members to teach a young person the ropes. Acting as mentors helps reaffirm their convictions about the profession. And the enthusiasm of a young, curious person has a way of rubbing off.

So, what about it? Is it time for the water industry to create, collectively across the country, thousands of summer or evening/weekend jobs for energetic young people looking for work and career direction?

Maybe it's too late to get organized enough to offer that internship this summer. But what about next year? From where I sit, internships look like an excellent way to bring high-quality people into the water business.

As part of the NSF grant received for the development of the WTI program, we have some funds to help support internships. If your facility is interested in joining in the effort to train qualified young profession operators and managers, please contact us by clicking submitting a Request for Information at the link at the top of this page.