Strategic Workforce Planning for Leaders at All Levels: Getting, Keeping and Developing Your New Workforce

Saturday, October 18, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
1 day, 0.6 CEUs

Many utilities are continuing to experience relatively high levels of attrition due to retirements and the majority of utilities are only now beginning to plan for recruitment, retention and development of the “next generation” of workers. This workshop will help utilities learn how they can meet these challenges.  Marcia Isbell will present the results from an AwwaRF (AWWA Research Foundation) project on “Workforce Planning for Water Utilities –Successful Recruiting, Training And Retaining Operators And Engineers to Meet Future Challenges.”  This research included surveying the generation of workers just completing college to understand what they are looking for in their careers.  Carla Elam Floyd will discuss innovative approaches that Denver Water is using to recruit new staff.  Larry Simmers, Karen Pallansch and John Petito will provide different perspectives on how they are recruiting and developing their operations workforces, providing a range of examples in both smaller and larger utilities, in both union and non-union environments.  Leisa Thompson will discuss how e-learning is an important new component of how they are ensuring that new staff receive training.  Finally, Richard Sykes will present how a comprehensive approach can be developed by a utility to create an in-house “university” for workforce learning and development.

Co-Chairs
Linda Blankenship, EMA, Inc.
Richard Gerstberger, TAP Resource Development Group, Inc.

Vice-Chair
John O’Neil, Johnson County Wastewater

Speakers
Marcia Isbell, EMA, Inc.
Carla Elam Floyd, Denver Water
Larry Simmers, Union Sanitary District
Karen Pallansch, Alexandria Sanitary Authority
John Petito, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Leisa Thompson, Metropolitan Council of Environmental Services