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8/13/2012
1
Strategies and Solutions for Addressing Today’s Workforce Issues
August 14th, 2012
Water Workforce Issues & The Impact on Training
Needs
Melanie Fahrenbruch, M.Ed.MJF Consulting, [email protected]
OUTLINE• The National Need
– Research
– Top Six Issues
• Get Into Water! Project Highlights– The
RMSAWWA/RMWEA Supervisory Certificate Program
– Career Mapping
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THE NATIONAL NEED
What are waters’ Top 10 Inadequately addressed issues?
• Regulatory
• Business Issues
• Source Water
• Infrastructure
• Security
Source: AWWA 2011 State of the Industry Report
• Water Treatment
• Workforce
• Macro Factors
• Leadership
• Consumer
THE NATIONAL NEED
Waters’ Top 10 most inadequately addressed issues:
1. Business Factors
2. Infrastructure
3. Source Water
4. Workforce
5. Regulatory
6. Leadership
7. Security
8. Water Treatment
9. Macro Factors
10. Consumer
Source: AWWA 2011 State of the Industry Report
THE NATIONAL NEED…25% of operators eligible to retire
between 2009-2014
Source: AWWA 2009 State of the Industry Report
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THE NATIONAL NEED
• Workforce Reduction– Over $1 million in research
– Overall concern tempered by slow economy
– Guess what? They are leaving now!
THE NATIONAL NEED
• Work for Water Campaign (AWWA, WEF)
THE NATIONAL NEED
• The Boomer Market– 76.4 million baby boomers
– Leading-edge boomers turned 65 in 2011
– Another baby boomer turns 60 every eight seconds
– By 2030, 70 million Americans will be 65+, and will comprise 20-25% of the US population
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Source: Arapahoe/Douglas Works
THE NATIONAL NEED
• Gaps in Competency-Based Training– How can there be a gap? There is so much
training available.
– How do we know there is a gap?• In Colorado….the most frequent cause of
failure was related to a distribution system deficiency and constituted 43 (%) of all Acute Team responses*
• 28Certification Exam Performance– Colorado Water Distribution Level 4 pass rate: 17%
THE NATIONAL NEED
– How is Colorado addressing the gap?
• Move to an outcomes-based, learner-centered approach
• Colorado Department of Health and Environment with RMSAWWA: 2015 Training Strategy and Administrative Framework
• ABC NTKC Prioritization and Usage Guidelines
• Core Curriculum Program Plan w/Colorado Competency Model
• Colorado Water Careers Roadmap
• Train the Trainer Program
• Training Assessment Program
• Web Portal
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THE NATIONAL NEED
• Lack of Supervisory Skills– The number one reason
people leave their job is—”uncaring and unprofessional managers; overworking staff; no respect, not listening, putting people in wrong jobs; speed over quality; poor manager selection processes.”*
• Competition with other industries
*Source: IAAP
GET INTO WATER!
• Mission: The water and wastewater industry will sufficiently recruit, train and retain personnel to ensure mission-critical positions are filled with qualified, trained & technically skilled employees
– Drinking Water Treatment Operators
– Wastewater Treatment Plant operators
– Wastewater Collection Operators
– Water Distribution Operators
– SCADA/Instrumentation Control Operators
GET INTO WATER!
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GET INTO WATER!
• The Industry Advisory Council (IAC), comprised of Front Range water and wastewater utilities, desires to focus exclusively on these operations-level positions. We intend to focus on sustainable programs and activities that will add value to employers and potential employees at times of high and low unemployment.
GET INTO WATER!
• Funding by Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
• “Sector Grant”
• Total funding $575,000, plus in-kind and cash provided by utilities, associations
GET INTO WATER!
• Sector grants are designed to: – Help the state and its businesses stay strong
and diverse
– Build a Gold Collar and STEM-ready workforce that is essential to sustaining the state economy
– Help fill the gap left by the 1.2 million 65+ workers estimated to retire in the next two decades
– Offer a “Grow Our Own” solution
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GET INTO WATER!
Research-Primary Data– Colorado Workforce Survey
(Although a four-county project, survey sent to all Colorado utilities) AWWA State of the Industry Report
– Water Research Foundation Reports
– Utility-Specific Data from Industry Advisory Council
– Occupation Data and Related Available Workforce
GET INTO WATER!
• GOAL #1: Training
– Conduct and promote training programs to ensure mission critical positions are filled with qualified, trained and technically skilled personnel.
• GOAL #2: Outreach and Recruitment
– Conduct adequate outreach and recruitmentefforts to ensure interest in, and attraction to, mission-critical positions.
GET INTO WATER!
• GOAL # 3: HR/Operations Collaboration– Enhance collaboration, education and
communication between operations staff and human resource professionals to create a positive culture for workforce development.
• GOAL #4: Knowledge Management– Conduct knowledge management and
employee retention efforts to ensure mission critical personnel have the knowledge and skills to operate effectively.
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GET INTO WATER!
• RMSAWWA/RMWEA Supervisory Certificate Program– There are increasing opportunities for
qualified candidates to fill supervisor positions that are being vacated
• Soft Skills Only-Classroom, Web, Conference
Source: Get Into Water Project
GET INTO WATER!
• Eight-month cohort program
• 20 participants for the first year
• Curriculum developed using grant funding
– Complete with facilitator’s guide
• 60 contact hours
• Focused on soft-skill
development
• Executive Coaching
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GET INTO WATER!
• Supervisory Certificate Program Content– Self-Awareness: Insight to Action
– The RMSAWWA/WEA Annual Conference: A Learning Laboratory
– Communications and the Role of the Supervisor – Part 1
– The Role of the Supervisor – Part 2
– The Role of the Supervisor – Part 3: When Things Go South
– Organizational Culture & Leadership Styles: Your Secret to Success
– A Virtual Forum: Meet the Executives
– Putting It All Together
GET INTO WATER!
Thank You!
Melanie Fahrenbruch, M.Ed.
President, MJF Consulting LLC
303-912-3358
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Today’s Presenters
• Jim Ginley, Senior Consultant, Red Oak Consulting, an ARCADIS Group
• Melanie Fahrenbruch, M.Ed., MJF Consulting, LLC
• James Mcpherson, Training Coordinator, Union Sanitary District
• Jeff Oxenford, Managing Analyst, Stratus Consulting
• Tyler Richards, Deputy Director of Operations, Gwinnett County, Georgia Water Resources
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N
UNION CITY
680
880
84
NEWARKFREMONT
UNION CITYUSD
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TASKSTASKSWhat do I have to
do?
KNOWLEDGEWhat do I
have to know?
JOB COMPETENCY REQUIRMENTS
(JCR)
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Using Knowledge Management to Address
Workforce Issues
Prepared by:
Jeff OxenfordStratus Consulting
Boulder, CO
Acknowledgements
• AWWA Knowledge Management Subcommittee of the Workforce Strategies Committee
• Knowledge Management Committee of the Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA
• Get Into Water
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What Are the Workforce Challenges that Are Driving Knowledge
Management?
1. Preventing Knowledge Loss
• Is there danger in losing key operating and other organizational knowledge (e.g. history)?– Baby Boomer retirements
– Competition with other industries for skilled employees
2. Keeping Up
• Do we have people who have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors needed to do the job now and to meet future requirements?– Tightening health and safety,
environmental, and water quality regulations
– Changing facilities, technologies, and equipment
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3. Continual Improvement
• Are we providing existing staff with opportunities for continual professional development and a culture that encourages innovation and continuous improvement? – Increasing customer expectations
– Developing culture to support improvement
4. Supporting the Workforce
• Are we adequately supporting existing staff to ensure they have the information they need, when they need it? – Finding information when it’s needed
– Provide information to workers in the field
– Developing systems to capture, store, and manage content
Workforce Knowledge Challenges(ranked very important)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Retiring employees New technology Finding info Hiring new History
ALL
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Keeping up with new technology
Keeping up with new
requirements
Supporting existing workforce
Continual improvement
Preventing knowledge loss
Importance of Knowledge Management
Stage of Knowledge Management Implementation
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How to Get Started?
1. Define Knowledge Management for Your Organization
• Ensure that “the right people have the right skills and information at the right time to perform work needed”
• Formalized program for collecting information and capturing knowledge and experience in a tangible, easily assessable, and user friendly formatthat can be managed and used over time
• KM is a combination of people, processes, and technology
2. Treat Knowledge Management Like Any Other Project
• Needs assessment
• Implementation
• Sticking with it
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Needs Assessment
• Identify mission-critical functions and job categories
• Assess the culture of your organization
• Assess effectiveness of knowledge processes (access, transfer, sharing)
Rating of the Current Effectiveness (% rated very effective)
Implementation
• Develop a phased approach that fits with your organization and how employees access information
• Create learning opportunities
• Encourage a culture of sharing information
• Identify champions
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Sticking to It
• Recognize that this process is– Long term
– Will have ups/downs or ebbs/flows
– Requires maintenance
3. Select Appropriate Tool or Suite of Tools
1. Mentorships/apprenticeships
2. Staff development training programs
3. Competency based training
4. Communities of practice
5. Knowledge sharing systems
6. Video capture
Knowledge Management Activities
• Very interested in obtaining assistance
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Type of Knowledge Management Activities
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Training (cross training, attend regional seminars, leadership, topical lunch seminars)
• Meetings (to share information)
• Apprentice, mentoring, and internship programs
• Content management (scanning documents)
• Work order system, O+M software, GIS, mapping, SCADA
• Succession planning
The Future
• Addressing knowledge needs with changing demographics
• Understanding and addressing barriers to the use of future knowledge management technologies
• Continuing the discussion on Knowledge Management best practices
Final Thoughts
• Knowledge is an asset and should be managed as a asset (develop a formal program)
• Provide operators with the information they need, when they need it, in a format they need
• Design knowledge management processes and systems around people
• Loss of knowledge is a significant threat to efficient and effective operations
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For More Information
Jeff [email protected]
303-381-8286
http://www.workforwater.org/
http://www.getintowaterco.org/knowledge-management-resources/
Case Study of Knowledge Retention
Gwinnett County, GA
Tyler Richards
BackgroundGwinnett County’s Department of Water Resources (GCDWR) serves approximately 800,000 customers.
GCDWR provides three core services: producing and distributing drinking water; collecting and treating wastewater; and managing storm water.
• 2 large water treatment facilities
• 3 large wastewater treatment facilities
• 226 wastewater pump stations
• 2,931 miles sewer pipe
• 3,665 miles of distribution pipe
• 1,320 miles of stormwater pipe
.
F. W. Hill WRC
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System Growth
Now: 60% of Operations Management Team can Retirewithin 3 years (20% of all Operations Employees).
• Loss of Asset Knowledge
• Loss of System or Technical Knowledge
Problem:
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• Loss of Asset Knowledge
Problem:
Digital Format
• Loss of Asset Knowledge
Problem:
Digital FormatGIS/CMMS (Lucity) for LinearAssets
Steve
Distribution System Expert – 23 years
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Steve
How do we get information out of his head and into GIS?
Distribution System Manager
Collection System Manager
Steve over 51 distribution employees – 24 hour job
Field PMManager
Field CrewManager
Combined distribution and collection field crewsSteve put over preventive maintenance and asset GPS
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Field PMManager
• GPS assets• Leak Detection• Valve Exercising• CCTV• Special Projects
Field PM Groups Role
Benefits – 2 years• Able to reduce ‘unknown’ attributes for distribution
assets from 18% to <1% of assets, increased # assets in GIS
• Special Projects Completed– Tested for possible interconnections with other systems
– Cathode Protection Test Sites (were homeless assets)
– Resolving billing meters in GIS versus actually billed
• Have a preventive maintenance programs in place and expanding– Leak detection
– Valve exercising
– Pipe and manhole inspection
• Loss of Asset Knowledge
• Loss of System or Technical Knowledge
Problem:
KNOWLEDGE TEAMSSOGs
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Knowledge Teams26 year Engineer for Water Production was going to
retire in a year
• Formed a “Pressure Management Team” Retiring Engineer Operations Tech Support Engineer (new) Water System Modeler Distribution System Technician
• Team reviewed system operation and initiated improvements Decreased overall pressure Implemented new pressure zones Calibrated water facility meters Worked with facility staff to optimize operations Reviewed energy usage
Results:
• Information about water system operationswas transferred to the “Team”
• Improvements to the system were made andare ongoing including Reducing pressure transients Decreasing power usage Increasing communications between
water production facility and distribution
Conclusion
• There is no one ‘best’ way to ensure knowledgeis transferred
• Knowledge can be captured in many ways Digitally – GIS, CMMS, SCADA Written - SOGs or SOPs Team knowledge transfer or individual to individual
• Gwinnett grew very rapidly in 1980’s and 90’s, we needed to rapidly move from a mom and pop business model to a more sophisticated model.
Deliberative knowledge capture is part of that effort
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Questions?