Evergreen Rural Water has three apprenticeship programs, Water Distribution Manager (WDM), Water Treatment Plant Operator (WTPO) and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). This exciting venture is in response to the growing demand for skilled operators as more and more operators are reaching retirement age. Both the water and wastewater programs will be two years long. Applications can be submitted year round and at our Fall Conference in August, a new training cohort will begin.
The curriculum is designed to enhance and prepare the apprentice to be fully qualified in multiple aspects of water and wastewater operations. There will be a total of 288 formal training hours for each program. Below is a list of post apprenticeship certifications and knowledge gained.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
• 4,000 hours of on-the-job training
• 288 hours of related instruction
• Periodic worksite checks
• Monthly evaluations
• Expert mentoring
VIEW OUR WA LABOR & INDUSTRIES REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP STANDARDS
Must be employed by a utility that has applied to be an approved training agent. Please check with your utility.
Applicants must comply with the following criteria:
• Applicants must be currently employed by a water or wastewater system & meet employers minimum standards
• 18 years old or older
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Physically capable to perform the essential functions of the apprenticeship program
• Applicants must be able to attend all formal training
• Provide onsite supervision for the On the Job Training (OJT) portion of the program
• Ratio of apprentices to journey-level employee(s) may not exceed one apprentice per journey-level worker
• Maintain employment and OJT records
• Provide Wage Step increases for apprentices
Wishing you could afford to hire an apprentice, but it’s just not in the budget? Good news, we have received Community Project Grant Funding from the US Department of Labor for Apprenticeship and Workforce Development for Drinking Water & Wastewater Apprentices here in Washington State!