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This Brookings Institute (Washington, D.C.) report presents data showing how water jobs offer promise for workers in the U.S. Photo courtesy of The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As infrastructure ages, there are many employment opportunities to help renew U.S. water systems, according to a report by the Brookings Institute (Washington, D.C.).

The report, “Renewing the water workforce: Improving water infrastructure and creating a pipeline to opportunity,” provides an analysis of jobs in the construction, operation, and maintenance of the country’s water infrastructure. The detailed and data-driven report presents insights into looming employee shortages, the sector’s need for diversity, and the opportunity for profitable employment in a variety of water-sector occupations.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) encourages members to closely review the report, which was released June 14. The report also offers policies that local, state, and national leaders can use in future water workforce-development efforts, according to a Brookings Institute news release.

“While the Water Environment Federation and our colleagues across the water sector have long been aware of the challenges and opportunities of our workforce, we are grateful that the Brookings Institution produced this timely, detailed report that contains fresh data,” said Eileen O’Neill, WEF executive director. “It is imperative on all of us to examine the findings and accelerate our efforts to ensure a sustainable and talented water workforce.”

To help fill these gaps, WEF provides resources to find careers as well as education and training to equip current and future water professionals with the skills needed to work in the sector. Some of these resources include

• the WEF job bank,
• educational conferences and other events,
• WEFTEC^®,
• the WEF Knowledge Center,
• webcasts, and
• National Green Infrastructure Certification Program.