EPA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program are joining forces to connect veterans with disabilities to career opportunities in the water sector as part of EPA’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative. The agencies plan to work with water utilities, states and local VA counselors to promote water sector careers and resources for finding water jobs for veterans as well as educational programs to help veterans transition into careers in water industries.
EPA’s announcement cited Labor Department statistics that more than one-third of all current water operators are eligible to retire within seven years and employment for water and wastewater operators is expected to grow by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the national average for all other occupations.
The VA believes many veterans already possess training and technical skills directly transferable to careers in the water sector, including engineering, laboratory and water science, operations and maintenance, management and administration, communications and public education. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program further supports veterans for the water workforce by providing necessary accommodations and additional training as needed.
More information is online at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/ws_workforce.cfm.