Waubonsee Water Ways: Building Pathways to Careers in the Water Sector

该项目旨在通过解决全国和北方伊利诺伊州当前和紧急的水和废水劳动力需求来服务于国家利益。水利部门的退休潮即将到来。现有的和新兴的职位将需要新的和更新的基本技能，由项目的基础业务和行业领导团队（BILT）确定。该项目将为学生提供成功作为水和废水技术人员所需的知识，技能和能力。它将包括创新的体验式学习，广泛的学生支持和基于行业的技能评估，以帮助学生为水和废水技术人员的职业生涯做好准备。该项目的目标包括为两个队列开发和提供证书计划，全面招聘，强有力的保留活动和计划评估。 重要的活动包括重点招收该区域内代表性不足的学生。招聘活动包括与当地劳动力发展机构合作，以成年人为目标，在当地高中举办大学招聘活动，校园参观，以及潜在学生参观当地水和废水处理设施。 为了支持保留，该项目将有专门的学术顾问和导师与所需的学生导师互动。 外部评估人员将对该计划进行定期评估。 使用这些方法，社区，目标学生群体，以及北方伊利诺伊州的水部门将更好地满足未来的水和废水需求。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing the current and emergent water and wastewater workforce needs nationally and in northern Illinois. A wave of retirements in the water sector is imminent. Existing and emerging positions will require new and updated fundamental skill sets as identified by the project’s foundational Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT). The project will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success as water and wastewater technicians. It will incorporate innovative experiential learning, extensive student support, and industry-based skills assessment to assist students in preparing for water and wastewater technician careers. The goals of the project include the development and delivery of a certificate program for two cohorts, comprehensive recruitment, robust retention activities, and program assessment. Significant activities include a focus on recruiting and enrolling underrepresented students within the region. Recruitment activities include cooperation with local workforce development agencies to target adult populations, college recruitment events at local high schools, campus visits, and prospective student visits to local water and wastewater treatment facilities. To support retention, the project will have cohort-specific academic advisors and tutors with required student-tutor interactions. Outside evaluators will conduct regular assessments of the program. Using these methodologies, the community, the targeted student populations, and the water sector of Northern Illinois will be better poised to meet future water and wastewater demands. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.