Water Utility Apprenticeship & Internship Program Partner (WIL Collaborator)

Workforce Intelligence Lab (WIL) is building partnerships with water and wastewater utilities, registered apprenticeship sponsors, and training providers to expand career pathways into water-sector trades. We are seeking organization leads and practitioners who can co-design and host internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or postsecondary bridge pathways with measurable placement outcomes.
This is a collaboration / affiliate track (not a single full-time hire). Engagement is scoped by project.
What you'll do
- Represent a utility, apprenticeship sponsor, labor partner, or training provider willing to co-deliver water-trades pathways
- Help define trainee cohorts, supervisors/mentors, and job-placement pathways into water/wastewater roles
- Share (non-proprietary) program design inputs: hours, credentials, safety/onboarding, and success metrics
- Coordinate letters of support / MOU language for joint workforce proposals when mutually agreed
- Optionally advise WIL on evaluation metrics for completion, placement, and retention
Requirements
Required
- Current role at a drinking water or wastewater utility, registered apprenticeship sponsor, labor organization, community college / technical school, or nonprofit training org serving the water sector
- Authority (or a clear path to authority) to discuss partnership / host-site arrangements
- Experience running or supporting internships, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, or bridge programs
- Willingness to be considered for time-bounded collaboration (affiliate / consulting / institutional partnership)
- Authorization to work with a U.S. nonprofit research organization
Nice to have
- Registered apprenticeship standards already in place for water/wastewater occupations
- Track record of measurable trainee placements into utility jobs
- Experience with federal or state workforce grants as a partner (not required)
- Geographic focus you can host (city/region) and approximate annual trainee capacity
Benefits
What fellows receive
Research Fellows will have opportunities to:
contribute to workforce intelligence reports and publications
participate in applied workforce research initiatives
gain exposure to operational workforce planning systems and labor market analysis
contribute to workforce intelligence methodologies and frameworks
build portfolio-quality workforce intelligence projects
collaborate on workforce intelligence dashboards and operational labor analysis
participate in workforce intelligence discussions with industry operators and advisors
As WIL expands, fellows may also have opportunities to participate in:
expanded research collaborations
advisory initiatives
future grant-supported projects
workforce intelligence publications and presentations

Work arrangement
No