About the New England Work for Water Collaborative
The New England Work for Water Collaborative was created in January 2022 by New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) and New England Water Works Association (NEWWA), in conjunction with drinking water and clean water associations from throughout the New England region.
This Collaborative was established to address water workforce challenges facing this region. As large portions of the workforce serving in mission-critical jobs prepare for retirement, the pipeline of qualified candidates to fill these jobs is diminishing. Investments must be made to recruit and retain professionals to ensure water utilities can continue to provide reliable water services to the communities we serve.
In January 2023, the Collaborative began the development of the Strategic Plan, following a three-phase approach:
- Phase I – Information Gathering
- Phase II – Investigation of Opportunities and Issues
- Phase III – Development of Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan that will be developed at the conclusion of this three-phase process will outline the proposed establishment of a regional workforce organization with the mission of addressing the most pressing water workforce challenges for long-term workforce sustainability and reliability.
Get Involved
During the development of the Strategic Plan, the Collaborative Steering Committee created a Roadmap, which highlights five key strategies for addressing workforce challenges:
- Coordinated Outreach
- Coordinated Recruitment
- Collaborative Training
- Effective Incentives
- Effective Communication
Committees will be created to guide and implement the five strategies listed above. The Collaborative is currently accepting volunteers from any segment of the water industry, as well as individuals working for organizations with complementary goals, to participate in one of these five committees.
Staff members of drinking water, clean water, and stormwater utilities are encouraged and eligible to serve as the Chair of one of these committees. If you are a member of any other sector of the water industry or engaged in a sector with compatible goals (e.g., education, public health, or employment), you are invited to serve as a committee member.
Interested in getting involved? Click the button below to complete a short form to indicate the committees on which you’d like to serve. Descriptions of the committees can be found at the following link: www.newea.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Work-for-Water_Committee-Descriptions.pdf
