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Case Study W ithin the water and wastewater industry, asset management efforts have focused on infrastructure and equipment, even though experienced managers, engineers, and operators know that reliable operation depends on a different asset — the knowledge of prepared staff. In fact, as the industry turns to increasingly automated processes for the sake of efficiency, the level of expertise required by individual engineers and skilled-trade workers has increased. As Baby Boomers retire, insufficient numbers of qualified candidates are prepared for mission-critical trades and engineering work. Facilities, technology, equipment, and regula- tions also change with- out sufficient training for staff, and the operational reliability of water and wastewater utilities is put at risk. In the San Francisco Bay Area, water and wastewater utilities have recognized that opera- tional reliability depends on workforce reliability. BAYWORK, a consortium of 24 signatories (21 water and wastewater utilities, the Bay Area Community College Consortium, and Cal/Nevada American Water Works Association) works from a road map that includes four strategies: • Develop qualified candidates for mission-critical jobs (engineers and skilled trades). • Provide staff with the information they need to do quality work. • Maximize the cost-effectiveness of investments through collaboration. • Modify work processes to optimize use of staffing available. Although some BAYWORK programs and activities are available only to water and wastewater utilities in the Bay Area, BAYWORK's website at http://baywork. org provides information, products, and services that can be used by any component of the water and wastewater industry in any location. It also serves as a model for other utilities to construct job portals of their own, following the four basic strategies and examples described below. Develop Qualified Candidates In the area of candidate development, the careers com- ponent of the BAYWORK website provides background information (e.g., required credentials and skills) on mission-critical jobs as well as brochures, posters, and video interviews with engi- neers and skilled-trades workers. These materials can be used with youth, college students, veterans, and unemployed work- ers to make them aware of career opportunities available in the water and wastewater field. The jobs and internship posting component of the web- site can be used by any water or wastewater utility to post job openings; posting is free. BAYWORK has also created a career road map brochure (available from the website) that advises students on the steps they should take during their middle school and high school years to prepare themselves for skilled-trades positions such as electrician, electronic maintenance technician, machinist, water treatment operator, and water distribution operator. The resources page of the BAYWORK website pro- vides access to how-to guides and information on work- shops that relate to candidate development. It contains, 27 Not just a job listing: The BAYWORK careers section offers brochures, videos, and more. Meeting The Workforce Reliability Challenge A forward-looking utility responds to workforce retirement with a jobs program worth replicating. By Cheryl Davis wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine 2 7 _ V E R T _ 0 5 1 4 C l e a n w a t e r _ S F _ D G . i n d d 1 27_VERT_0514 Cleanwater_SF_DG.indd 1 4 / 2 1 / 2 0 1 4 3 : 0 7 : 1 6 P M 4/21/2014 3:07:16 PM