INTRODUCTION

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorized the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award grants
to nonprofit professional or service organizations,
nonprofit labor organizations, nonprofit community
colleges, institutions of higher education, or other
nonprofit training and educational institutions to (1)
assist in the development and use of innovative activities
relating to water workforce development and career
opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility
sector, and (2) expand public awareness about drinking
water and wastewater utilities and to connect individuals
to careers in the drinking water and wastewater utility
sector.

A total of 10 organizations were recently selected by EPA
to receive grant funding under this program. EPA has
developed Fact Sheets on each of these projects that
includes the language from the grant submission.

To learn more about the range of activities EPA is
undertaking to support our Nation's water workforce,
please go to Sustainable Water Infrastructure-Water
Sector Workforce.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments
will work with Owens Community College, the City of
Toledo, and partners in education, public utilities, labor
unions, trade organizations, and community partners
to create a water and wastewater sector workforce

development collaborative that will recruit, train, and place
workers in public and private sector utilities to address
regional workforce needs in northwest Ohio.
The objectives of this Collaborative are to:

1.	Develop a regional water and wastewater
workforce collaborative to address regional
workforce needs in northwest Ohio

2.	Provide training and a clear career path
for future water and wastewater operators
in secondary education/career tech, through
community college, and on to possible
apprenticeships, internships, or bachelor's degree
programs

3.	Recruit future operators through targeted and
innovative approaches

4.	Place qualified program participants into
internships and place operators in training
positions with local utilities

5.	Make the program available to other areas of
Ohio and the U.S

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MAJOR ACTIVITIES

0 Create a steering committee to provide direction
to the objectives and establish a network of
partners that will comprise of the Collaborative
0 Develop tailored training curriculum and provide
connections with potential employers for 5 target
groups: secondary and post-secondary school
students, current utility employees seeking alternate
career paths, workers reentering the workforce, and
veterans

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG):

Northwest Ohio Integrated Water Workforce Collaborative


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March 2022-February 2025

TMACOG.ORG

300 DrM.L.K. Jr. DrSteSOO,
Toledo, OH 43604

Kari Gerwin

TMACOG Project Manager
gerwin@tmacog.org

Elisabeth Schlaudt
EPA Project Officer
schlaudt.elisabeth(g)epa.gov

0 Develop outreach and marketing
material for the 5 target groups including a
website to house resources and information
about local water-sector employers, a
career fair, and tuition incentives for new
enrollees

0 Establish direct connections with water/
wastewater plants to provide internships/
apprenticeships and promote these

OUTCOMES

0 Long-term collaborations to support the
needs of the water utility workforce in NW
Ohio

0 increased availability of water utility
workforce in NW Ohio and other areas of the
state

0 Increased training opportunities for
those interested in entering the water utility
workforce

0 Greater availability of faculty and water
utility employees prepared to offer training to
incoming water utility employees
0 Enhanced skillset among existing water
utility employees in NW Ohio
0 Improvement in communications between
water utilities and potential employees

MAJOR ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

PARTNERS

0	Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of

Governments (Lead)

0	Owens Community College (Lead)

0	City of Toledo (Lead)

0	Ohio EPA

0	Ohio Water Environment Association

0	RCAP

0	GLCAP

0	University of Toledo

0	Toledo Lucas County Public Library

0	Wood County Public Library,

0	Lucas County Veterans Services

Commission

0	AFSCME

0	Village of Fayette

0	Lucas County Sanitary Engineer

0	City of Napoleon

0	City of Fremont

0	Village of Swanton

J WENS

: COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ML

City of Toledo


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