Trainings
Building the Workforce That Keeps Michigan’s Water Flowing
Clean, safe water doesn’t happen by accident, it takes skilled, knowledgeable professionals at every level of a utility. MI-AWWA’s education and training programs are designed to meet you where you are, whether you’re just starting your career, stepping into a supervisory role, or looking to deepen your technical expertise.
We believe learning is most powerful when it’s practical, peer-driven, and connected to the real challenges facing Michigan’s water sector. That’s the foundation everything here is built on.
Our Training Philosophy
At MI-AWWA, we don’t just offer courses, we invest in careers. Our training programs are developed with input from utility professionals across the state, grounded in current industry standards, and designed to translate directly to the work you do every day.
We didn’t start by guessing what topics to teach. We started by asking what the field requires, using a nationally recognized framework developed by the U.S. Department of Labor specifically for the water and wastewater sector: the Water and Wastewater Competency Model. Every MI-AWWA course map to a specific, validated competency in your field. You’re not sitting through generic training. You’re building skills that employers in this industry have said matter.
Beyond the national framework, we conduct ongoing needs assessments with Michigan utilities, asking supervisors and managers what skill gaps they’re seeing and what topics keep coming up. That information directly shapes what we put on our calendar.
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A Note on Michigan’s Workforce Transition The water sector is facing a significant generational shift. A large share of experienced operators are approaching retirement, and utilities across Michigan are working to transfer knowledge and build the next generation of skilled professionals. MI-AWWA’s training program is designed to support both sides of that challenge, helping experienced operators stay current and preparing new entrants to contribute faster. |
Training Curriculum & Career Pathways
Our curriculum is built on the U.S. Department of Labor's Water and Wastewater Competency Model, which outlines five progressive levels of professional competency. This framework reflects how knowledge, skills, and expertise develop throughout a career in the water sector. Like a strong foundation, each level supports the growth and advancement of the levels above it.
As we develop new training offerings and refresh existing offerings, each course will be aligned to specific competency areas within the model and mapped to the career stage for which it is most relevant. This approach helps learners identify training opportunities that support their current role while preparing them for future career growth.
U.S. Department of Labor's Water & wastewater competency model tiers
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Tier |
Competency Area |
What It Covers |
Who It Serves |
|
Tier 1 |
Personal Effectiveness |
Professionalism, integrity, adaptability, dependability, lifelong learning |
All professionals entering the field |
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Tier 2 |
Academic Competencies |
Reading, writing, math, science, communication, digital literacy, and critical thinking |
Pre-employment, apprentices, career changers |
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Tier 3 |
Workplace Competencies |
Teamwork, planning, problem solving, stakeholder focus, working with tools and technology |
Supervisors and team leads in development |
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Tier 4 |
Industry-Wide Competencies |
Water sector principles, quality control, troubleshooting, environmental law, safety awareness |
New hires and early-career operators |
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Tier 5 |
Industry-Sector Competencies |
Treatment operations, field infrastructure, public health & environmental protection, safety & security |
Licensed operators and credentialed professionals |
Use the pathway framework below to identify where you are in your career and which training offerings are the right next step.
Career Stages
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Career Stage |
What to Expect |
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Foundational |
For those new to the water sector, pursuing initial certification, or entering through a workforce pipeline program. Focus areas: Tiers 1–4. |
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Intermediate |
For operators and technicians building on core skills, pursuing license advancement, or expanding into new technical areas. Focus area: Tier 5 domains. |
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Advanced / Leadership |
For experienced professionals moving into supervisory or management roles, or seeking specialized expertise. Focus areas: Tiers 3 & 5 advanced content. |
Browse Training Offerings
Our training calendar is organized into three categories based on frequency. Use the links below to explore what’s available and find a session that fits your schedule.
- Annual Trainings: Signature programs offered once a year, often in multi-day or conference formats
- Recurring Trainings: High-demand courses offered multiple times throughout the year
- Rotating Trainings: Specialized and emerging topics offered on a periodic or rotating schedule
What You Can Count On From Us
- Training relevant to your actual work, not one-size-fits-all content
- Clear connections to the competencies your employer and the industry care about
- Multiple formats, in-person, regional, and online, to fit different schedules and budgets
- Alignment with Michigan’s operator licensing and continuing education requirements
- Regular updates as regulations, technology, and industry needs evolve
- A feedback loop: we’ll ask how it went, and we’ll use what you tell us
Questions or Suggestions?
Contact Hillary Caron, MI-AWWA's Director of Education & Workforce Training at
hillary@mi-water.org
