Host: Jenelle C. Booker, Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center
Guest: Chris Judd, Water Systems Instructor at West-MEC in Surprise, Arizona
In this two-part podcast series, The Emerging Role of Career and Technical Education Schools in Certifying the Next Generation of Water and Wastewater Operators, you’ll explore how the Water Systems Training program, offered by West Maricopa Education Center in Surprise, Arizona, is building the next generation of water professionals through career and technical education . The program introduces high school students to water careers through a combination of hands-on learning, work-based learning and leadership training. In this episode, host Jenelle Booker speaks with the instructor of the Water Systems Training program, Chris Judd, about how the program got started. They walk through his curriculum and discuss how his teaching style supports learning and demonstrates the value of blue careers to high-school junior and seniors.
Learn more about how Chris Judd responds to regional water workforce needs through work-based learning in part two, Can High Schoolers Become Qualified Water Treatment Operators? Lessons from Surprise, AZ. See you there.
Additional Resources:
- EFCN Blog | How’s the Weather Today? Wastewater Workforce Forecasting
- EFCN Podcast | Preparing Water Utilities For An Aging Workforce
- EFCN | Future Water Leaders Program