DUNCAN, Okla. — NRWA built the core components of the national registered apprenticeship program with substantial input from small and rural water system managers and board members. State Associations customize and register their own apprenticeship programs with state apprenticeship registration agencies. NRWA must review and approve all Registered Apprenticeship Programs under our National Standards. Collectively, the National Standards and the individual State Association Registered Apprenticeship programs are known as the NRWA Apprenticeship Program.
Our goal is to create a systematic program of classroom instruction and on-the-job training to transform apprentices into fully proficient Safe Water Professionals (water operators) and Clean Water Professionals (wastewater operators). NRWA's apprentices receive a nationally recognized credential that is synonymous with excellence for America's WaterPros. Since the creation of the NRWA National Standards, 34 State Associations (and counting) have approved Registered Apprenticeship programs with over 375 apprentices registered across the nation.
These programs are backed by the U.S. Department of Labor, NRWA's name, reputation, and commitment to the Rural Water workforce. The ATAC is charged with overseeing a systematic training program that delivers the necessary competencies while remaining flexible enough to be customized to meet the individual needs of 50 states and 30,000 utilities. Our goal is to provide a 100% guarantee to utilities that our apprentices are fully qualified for the job. The committee members are as follows:
- Dan DeMoss, CA
- Kelly Strain, IN
- Randy Turnage, MS
- Howard Baker, MO
- Rick Howlett, NJ
- Carolyn Bynum, NC
- Nichol Everingham, TX
For more information on the apprenticeship program, please visit https://nrwa.org/apprenticeship-program.
