Water and Wastewater Occupations In Southern California. Centers of Excellence Webinar January 12, 2012

Transcription

1 Water and Wastewater Occupations In Southern California Centers of Excellence Webinar January 12, 2012

2 Today s Presentation About the COE Industry & Occupations Needs & Challenges Response & Next Steps Panel Discussion Q&A

3 Centers of Excellence Mission The Centers of Excellence, in partnership with business and industry, deliver statewide, regional, and local workforce research customized for community college decision making and resource development.

4 Centers of Excellence Inform community college and workforce community through regional labor market research and data Connect business and industry with community colleges and workforce organizations that are committed to developing an outstanding workforce Advance economic competitiveness in a region by partnering with employers, education and economic developers

5 Where are the COE located? San Francisco Bay/ Silicon Valley Los Angeles/Orange Desert & San Diego/Imperial Central Valley & South Central Greater Sacramento

7 Research Objectives In 2011, COE conducted a workforce study on the water and wastewater workforce in California. The purpose of the study was to collect and analyze data on: Number and size of water and wastewater firms in the region Current employment and future job growth for the occupations studied Level of difficulty in hiring for each of the occupations Industry preferences for education and training programs Number, type and capacity of community college offerings designed to prepare for water and wastewater occupations Challenges and successes experienced by colleges Estimated number of community college program completers and current training gap Recommendation for action

8 Water & Wastewater Industry Water and wastewater industries primarily involve the collection, distribution, treatment, and conservation of water and wastewater.

9 Study Scope Southern California 7-county region About 350 employers 71 completed the survey (20%) May-June 2011

10 Size of Firms Surveyed 50 to 249 employees 21% 250 to 999 employees 1% 10 or fewer employees 51% 25 to 49 employees 14% 11 to 24 employees 13% 51% of water and wastewater firms employ less than 11 employees About one-fifth of agencies employ between 50 and 249 employees

11 Occupations Studied Operator Occupations Water treatment operator Water distribution operator Wastewater treatment operator Wastewater collections operator Support Occupations Mechanic/Machinist Electrician/Electrician technician Electronic maintenance technician/ Instrument technician

12 Employment highlights So Cal water/wastewater agencies are estimated to employ 18,360 workers in the seven occupations. 4,370 new and replacement jobs are estimated to be created in 3 years; Water distribution operator is the largest occupation, with more than 4,000 workers in Retirement eligibility for water distribution operators may be as high as 19% over the next 3 years.

13 Employment Outlook Extrapolated 2011 Employment, 3-year growth, and Replacement Jobs Water/Wastewater Occupations 2011 employment 3-year employment (new jobs) 3-year growth rate Eligible to retire in 3 years (replacement jobs) Replacement job rate New and replacement jobs Water Treatment Operator 2, % % 506 Water Distribution Operator 4, % % 958 Wastewater Treatment Operator 3, % % 663 Wastewater Collections Operator 2, % % 457 Mechanic/Machinist 3, % % 891 Electrician/Electrician Technician 1, % % 504 Electronic Maintenance Technician/Instrument Technician 1, % % 391 TOTAL 18, % 3,417 19% 4,370

14 Emerging Occupations Water Quality Analyst 37% of firms reported that they employ this occupation Water Conservation Specialist 55% of firms employ this occupation

15 Certifications Water distribution (California Dept. of Public Health; AWWA) Water treatment (California Dept. of Public Health; AWWA) Wastewater collection (California Water Environment Association [CWEA]) Wastewater treatment (State Water Resources Control Board) Backflow prevention and cross connection control (various agencies) Water conservation and water use efficiency (AWWA) Other: Laboratory analysis, plant maintenance, mechanical technologist, and electrical/instrumentation

17 Difficulty Hiring 65% of employers reported the most difficulty in hiring Electronic Maintenance Technicians/Instrument Technicians More than half of employers reported some difficulty in hiring Water and Wastewater Treatment Operators Over half of respondents reported no difficulty in hiring Water Distribution Operators and Mechanics/Machinists/Plant Technicians.

18 Employer Challenges: Overall Trends Finding an adequate pool of applicants and retaining qualified workers is difficult. Retirements have disrupted employment within water and wastewater industries. Changes in technology have made the work more complex.

19 Factors Impacting the Workplace

20 Employer Training and Education Informal on the job training 69% Courses at a local training or education provider 69% Courses taught through an industryspecific association or group Customized training offered by utility (in-house training) Customized training for employees at work location (by a third party) 42% 56% 52% 0% 25% 50% 75%

21 Interest in Education & Training Operator Occupations 1. Community college programs for water and wastewater operators 2. Preparation for certification training 3. Incumbent worker training Support Occupations 1. Community college programs for water and wastewater operators 2. Incumbent worker training 3. An established relationship with a formal apprenticeship program

23 Water/Wastewater Technology Programs at Southern CA Community Colleges Los Angeles & Orange Counties Citrus College Los Angeles Trade Technical College Mt San Antonio College Santiago Canyon College Desert & Inland Empire Mt San Jacinto College San Bernardino Valley College Victor Valley Community College San Diego & Imperial Counties Cuyamaca College Imperial Valley College Palomar College South Central Region (Ventura and parts of L.A. County) College of the Canyons Ventura College

24 Water & Wastewater Technology Programs Most colleges offer an A.S. degree and educational certificate In , Southern California community colleges awarded 190 Certificates and 69 Associated of Science degrees. Wide variety of educational certificates offered only 4 colleges offer Wastewater Treatment programs Few offer departmental certificates and not-for-credit credentials

25 Occupational Focus of Programs Water distribution operator Water treatment operator Wastewater treatment operator Wastewater collections operator Water conservation specialist Water quality analyst Electronic maintenance Mechanic/machinist/plant tech Electrician/electrician technician 9% 18% 18% 36% 46% 73% 91% 100% 100% 0% 50% 100%

26 Program Capacity 80% 73% 60% 40% 20% 18% 9% 0% Under-subscribed (more seats available than students) Neither (classes are full but not impacted) Over-subscribed (not enough seats for all interested students) Recent budget cuts have proved challenging for colleges by limiting their ability to expand course offerings.

27 Partnerships Employers support community college programs in the following ways: Serving as advisory board members Serving as adjunct professors Offering internships for students Donating supplies/equipment Offering externships for faculty Other (providing tours and guest speakers and working on recruitment events with faculty)

28 Challenges Lack of employment opportunities for students Low student completion rates Difficulty hiring qualified faculty Keeping curriculum current with new technologies Lack of equipment or facilities for hands-on instruction Students not passing certification exams Weak partnerships with local water utility agencies Low student enrollment 0% 50% 100% Significant Challenge Some challenge Not an issue

29 Programs for Support Occupations Name Electronic Maintenance Technician/Instrument Technician Electronics and Electronic Technology Colleges Allan Hancock, Imperial Valley, Long Beach City, Palomar, Pasadena City, Saddleback, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, Southwestern, Victor Valley Certificates Offered Degrees Offered 10 6 Industrial Electronics Cerritos, El Camino, Imperial Valley. Mt. San Antonio 7 5 Heavy Equipment Operation Rio Hondo 1 0 (Operating Engineers) Other: Industrial Technology Orange Coast 0 1 Electrician/Electrician Technician Electrical Allan Hancock, Antelope Valley, Cerritos, Cuesta, L.A Trade-Tech, Palomar, San Diego City, Santiago Canyon Mechanic/Machinist Machining and Machine Tools Allan Hancock, Cerritos, Cerro Coso, El Camino, Fullerton, Glendale, L.A. Pierce, L.A. Trade-Tech, Long Beach City, Orange Coast, Pasadena City, San Bernardino, San Diego City, Santa Ana, Ventura TOTAL 62 50

30 Recommendations to Colleges Explore not-for-credit mechanisms of offering water & wastewater training at colleges that already have facilities and curricula Build partnerships between Water Tech and Electrical/ Mechanical/Industrial Technology departments to develop pathways for support occupations Expand existing programs with new courses and/or creating certificate options in water conservation and lab analysis Strengthen employer-college partnerships for job placement and internships Work closely with K-12 and 4-year educational systems to create articulated agreements and career pathways for students

31 How to Access More Information

33 Panelists Stuart Karasik Training Program Manager City of San Diego Tim Worley Executive Director CA-Nevada Section of AWWA Don Jones Program Coordinator Water and Wastewater Technology, Cuyamaca College

34 Question to the Panel: What are the trends in the industry that are impacting how water and wastewater jobs are being performed?

35 Question to the Panel: Over half of employers reported difficulty when hiring for Water/Wastewater Operators. At the same time, most colleges with water technology programs reported a lack of employment opportunities for their graduates as their top challenge. There seems to be some kind of mismatch. What do you think it is and why is it happening?

36 Question to the Panel: What are some of the creative approaches that you utilized in order to help your graduates find jobs?

37 Question to the Panel: Community Colleges are well positioned to provide training in Water Technology. Are there opportunities for potential partnerships between the CA-NV Section of AWWA and community colleges?

38 Question to the Panel: If you were to give one piece of advice to community colleges on preparing a qualified workforce for water and wastewater industries, what would it be?

40 Continuing the Conversation Join our LinkedIn Group Centers of Excellence or visit us online at or Thank You! Zhenya Lindstrom Director, Center of Excellence (909) Laura Coleman Project Manager, Center of Excellence (916)