The apprenticeship program is a two-year program that draws training resources from the system sponsor, our state and federal partners, and RWAU. A water or wastewater system will either employ a new employee or enroll a current employee in the program by agreeing to be the sponsor. Together, the sponsor and RWAU will work with the apprentice to train and instruct them over two years. Over the course of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will become a well-qualified and fully prepared operator that can tackle the needs of different water or wastewater systems throughout Utah.

• 4,000 training hours from the system sponsor

• 288 hours of additional training from RWAU

• The instruction will be part in-class training and part online webinars

• The DDW & DWQ will be assisting RWAU in the development of our online courses

• The online training will be provided at no cost to those who are enrolled as apprentices

• Certifications in Water or Wastewater Operations, Utility Management, Cross Connection, Water Rights, and Water Conservation, etc. (certifications will vary depending on water/wastewater designation)

  If you are an individual who has not yet been employed by a water or wastewater system but would like to join as an apprentice and eventually be hired onto a system, the process is slightly different. Once you have requested an application, you will work on filling out all the required forms, similar to an already matched apprentice. After RWAU has deemed the applicant eligible for the program, apprentices who have not yet been matched with a system will go into a pool of applicants. The pool of eligible applicants will be made available to our members who may be looking for a new employee and would accept the terms of hiring an apprentice. RWAU is currently working on formulating a process to disseminate that information to our members. Look for updates in the future.

Each apprentice will have a sponsor (water/wastewater system) that will support the apprentice and agree to provide training on a one-on-one basis. The required number of hours is 4,000 (roughly a 2-year working period based on a 40-hour workweek). The sponsor has a number of obligations required for the system to be able to host an apprentice. For example:

• Wage Schedule

  • Apprentices shall be paid a progressively increasing wage schedule based on the current salary of an hourly journey worker. That salary is $16.11 per hour. By the end of the two years, the apprentice will need to be making that much per hour.

• Work Process Schedule

  • The 4,000 hours are broken up into five sections, with hour requirements for each section.

Sponsors also agree to help monitor and track employees’ progress and training hours throughout the two years. Sponsors will also be required to submit the following documents, including, but not limited to:

• An employee letter
• An intent to hire form
• A follow-up interview form
• An employer acceptance agreement form

Additionally, if the apprentice is already hired by the sponsor, they will need to work with RWAU to secure the following as part of the apprenticeship application:

• Drug screening
• Background check
• Proof of completion of educational requirements

In addition to the 4,000 hours of training required by the sponsor, RWAU will provide an additional 288 hours of instruction. The apprentice will fulfill some of these hours by attending pre-established in-class sessions offered by RWAU. The majority of these sessions occur multiple times a year so that the apprentice can plan accordingly. The rest of the hours will be fulfilled by online classes (webinars) or other variable one-day in-class sessions. The bulk of the in-class instruction will be certifications, as mentioned earlier.

Rural Water will also be tracking and collecting information for each apprentice. We have a dedicated team that will work with the apprentice, the system, and anyone else involved to track and monitor the progress of the apprentice throughout the two-year program. At the end, RWAU will help the apprentice apply for the apprenticeship certificate through the Department of Labor, assuming all requirements have been met.

Along with the requirement to work on all required content for the two years, including any and all certifications that are required for the course, apprentices will also be required to submit all necessary documentation for the program. This includes, but is not limited to:

• An application request form

• An apprenticeship application

• An eligibility letter

• An interview with the sponsor/employer

• A standard media release

Apprentices will be required to attend some in-class courses that are held throughout the state of Utah. The apprentice is responsible for the registration and travel costs associated with those courses and will need to work with his or her system to make sure he or she can attend the classes. Once enrolled, RWAU will help each apprentice review the program requirements and create a tentative two-year schedule for completing the program and all requirements.

Each year we can offer two Apprenticeship Scholarships to the program. Contact Jenny or the RWAU office if you or your system is interested in applying for the scholarship.