A yearlong water workforce initiative has provided training for 51 participants, helping Atlantic City-area water and wastewater employees strengthen their skills and explore opportunities for career advancement.
The Future-Forward Water Workforce Initiative brought together Jersey Water Works, New Jersey Future, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority and the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority. Participants included 46 utility professionals and five student interns.
The program’s final workshop, “Charting Your Career Pathway,” took place Oct. 27. It highlighted employees’ career success stories and opportunities within the water sector.
“The Future-Forward Program provided our staff with the practical tools needed to develop new skills and advance their careers,” said Sharon Hunt, ACUA’s director of human resources. “ACUA was proud to participate in this partnership, which will positively shape the future of our organization and contribute to the wastewater industry as a whole.”
Water workforce initiative combines technical and leadership training
Participants received funding for professional development courses in business analysis, commercial driver’s license training, wastewater management, strategic communication and project management.
Workshops in leadership, communication, management and financial leadership complemented the technical courses, helping employees develop practical and interpersonal skills for long-term career growth.
Clifford Keen, ACMUA’s deputy executive director of operations, encouraged participants to remain lifelong learners. He said the water industry offers a range of career opportunities and is well positioned to remain essential despite advances in artificial intelligence.
Organizers said the initiative was designed to address workforce training needs while creating clearer paths for advancement. They also expect the investment in employees to strengthen utility service and support infrastructure and economic improvements in Atlantic County’s overburdened communities.
The initiative received support from the participating organizations and grant funding through the Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative.
Although the formal program concludes in November, its findings will be featured at the Jersey Water Works Annual Conference on Dec. 8 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.
ACUA provides waste management services aimed at protecting local waters and lands from pollution. ACMUA supplies drinking water to Atlantic City. New Jersey Future works on growth, redevelopment and infrastructure issues and serves as the backbone organization for Jersey Water Works, a collaborative focused on improving water infrastructure and communities.
For more information, visit jerseywaterworks.org.
