Program Spotlight: A Closer Look at the Institute Training Programs

Originally printed in the Fall 2017 issue NC Currents magazine.

After participating in the Institute Program hosted by Two Rivers Utilities (TRU) this past May, one of TRU’s staff members commented that it was “the most relevant continuing education class he had ever attended.” That was gratifying to hear, says Stephanie Scheringer, the utility’s Division Manager Wastewater Treatment, because it was exactly what TRU needed and wanted from the Institute.

“There were several aspects of NC AWWA-WEA’s Institute Program that were quite appealing to us,” says Scheringer. “NC AWWA-WEA’s ability to provide customized training for topics we selected was a key factor. Like many utilities, TRU has experienced some turnover in operational staff due to retirements, so having the ability to tailor training topics to our staff’s specific needs is optimal.”

Before the existence of the Institute, TRU’s approach was to review the training catalog searching for pertinent seminars that would enable operators to fulfill educational requirements for their certifications. Along with the Annual Conference and the Operator Schools, these seminars were NC AWWA-WEA’s most frequently attended training programs.

“In the past, we picked ‘hot topics’ in the industry and created one and two-day seminars and workshops in various locations throughout the state,” explains Reed Barton, Chair of the Seminars and Workshops Committee. With members and utilities expressing a desire for training that was more closely tailored to their particular needs, the NC AWWA-WEA Board responded by approving a transition to the program that, in 2015, was launched as the Institute.

On February 5, 2015, Charlotte Water hosted the first Institute at its Field Operations Zone 2 location in Charlotte. “We wanted to be the first to partner with NC AWWA-WEA and act as a sponsor to this new initiative,” says Cheryl Stanford, Organization Development and Training Specialist at Charlotte Water. The Institute meshes well with Charlotte Water’s existing approach to continuing education. Their

Training Link Team, which consists of approximately 20 members representing each division, meets two to three times a year to discuss high priority training topics.

Similarly, before approaching the NC AWWA-WEA to request an Institute, TRU surveyed supervisory staff to identify training needs and made a list of desired topics. They then worked with a planning group from the Seminars and Workshops Committee to refine them. “In the Institute Program, host utilities play a much greater role in setting the agenda and directing overall goals and learning objectives for the event,” says Barton.

The City of Raleigh Utilities Department has hosted two Institutes so far. “We looked at it as a cost savings opportunity,” says Training and Development Manager Maisha Williams. Having training on-site cuts down on time and travel expenses. Furthermore, staff members who do not enjoy traveling are relieved to have the course held locally.

“NC AWWA-WEA is made up of individuals and utilities from across the state, and a clear message we were getting from them was the widespread need to push their training dollars further,” notes Barton, adding that the host is responsible for providing a venue and ensuring a minimum number of attendees. “It’s like a block purchase.”Each Institute makes a certain number of spots available for open registration to individuals outside of the host utility. Meanwhile, the host receives preferred pricing for the sessions.

For instance, when hosting its first Institute, the City of Raleigh Public Utilities offered 80 spots to its staff and 10 to guests. “Our staff was able to receive excellent training organized by an association that is highly respected,” says Williams. “We are excited by the fact that they have the resources to reach out and identify qualified instructors to come in and teach our operators.”

Raleigh has held two Institutes, and both times Lamya King has been among the volunteers from the Seminars and Workshops Committee who have helped with the planning. She explains that when a utility expresses interest in hosting, the committee organizes a planning group, typically consisting of four volunteers. The planning group starts by setting up a meeting with the utility to receive the list of topics and sort through the logistical details such as venue and timing.The planning group then looks for speakers to develop a presentation for each topic.

“Utilities can help handpick the speakers if they wish,” notes Barton, adding that the goal is to use every resource available to connect top educators and experts in their fields with the operators, engineers, plant staff, and management staff at utilities. “I think we’ll have greater opportunity to bring in highly sought-after speakers now that we’re asking them to provide fewer, more focused presentations.”

King notes that each Institute planning group helps to build up a roster of high quality speakers. “That’s when it gets fun and exciting,” she says. “We try to keep the presentations as engaging and hands-on as possible.” The group divides the list of topics and connects every two weeks with updates. The planning group works closely with the utility throughout the entire process. For instance, the Training Link Team at Charlotte Water met with NC AWWA-WEA volunteer George Simon in the lead-up to their Institute in September. “We provided him with content that we wanted him to give to some of the speakers,” says Stanford.

NC AWWA-WEA takes care of obtaining copyright release forms from presenters and obtaining state approval for each presentation to qualify for continuing education credits (CEUs), professional development hours (PDHs), or both. Certificates are generated in advance for the volunteers to hand out to attendees at the end of the Institute.

“One of our roles as volunteers is to gather information and give it to Association staff,” notes King. The planning group obtains a copy of the presentation from each speaker so that the NC AWWA-WEA can create handouts and upload PowerPoint presentations, as required. They are also responsible for obtaining a brief biography of each speaker they will introduce during the event.

“All we had to do was schedule the Institute, promote it, and show up,” says Williams. “They provide all the training material.”

At Charlotte Water, after the agenda was set, the Institute was posted in the utility’s Learning Management System for registration and emails were sent out department-wide along with an email sent out to all administrative staff, supervisors and the leadership team so they could spread the information to employees. “No seats are ever empty,” says Stanford, adding that the 80 spots for its February 2015 Institute filled quickly. “Every division was represented. We had engineers, wastewater and water operators, field personnel, customer service staff, and laboratory employees.” She adds that the event doubled as a networking opportunity for staff members to get to know one another and learn about the different types of work they do. NC AWWA-WEA’s Mary Knosby suggested starting the Institute with a ‘getting to know your neighbor’ bingo event that was highly successful.

“Having a large portion of our wastewater staff together is a rare opportunity,” says TRU’s Scheringer, adding that having operators and supervisors receive information from a single source is a challenge in an environment that must be staffed 24/7 at multiple sites. “We appreciated being able to interact with each other as well as with peers from other utilities.”

Barton points out that many utility staff attendees have a license specific to water operators or wastewater operators, and some have both operator licenses. An Institute can offer a curriculum that covers topics that are pertinent to both water and wastewater professionals. “One of the benefits of that is crosstraining,” explains Barton. “It’s not what they do every day, but it helps the trainee become more effective as part of an overall utility team.” Other utilities, he adds, prefer their operators to be able to focus exclusively on either water or wastewater topics, allowing for a greater depth in the topics taught.

The City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department (CORPUD) is a case in point. The first Institute hosted by CORPUD in 2015 included sessions addressing water and wastewater

operators as one group. In contrast, the Institute held in August 2016 delivered two classes side by side: one water and one wastewater. Half of the operators at the utility underwent training while the other half ran the facilities. Then the next day, they switched. “In two days, we were able to train a large number of attendees,” says Barton.

Williams notes that by having “two separate agendas,” operators were able to have “a deeper experience.” The decision to change formats was prompted by responses to the evaluation form, which is included in every packet handed out to attendees at the beginning of each Institute.

“We can’t overemphasize the importance of the feedback forms,” says King, noting that the information is shared with the entire Seminars and Workshops Committee. “They are critical to helping us make the Institutes better and better.”

Charlotte Water made some changes based on feedback received after hosting its first Institute with 100 people. To create a more intimate and engaging learning environment for attendees, future sessions will be smaller. Subsequently, the second Institute with NC AWWA-WEA in September 2016 was reduced to 60 attendees, with 49 people from

Charlotte Water and 11 guests. At the same time, even more emphasis was placed on speaker selection. “Our Institutes are open to all employees at Charlotte Water; therefore, we want to ensure all employees would be able to leave with a valuable take-away from each speaker,” says Stanford, adding that lessons learned even included small practical tips such as not preparing the lunch too close to where presenters were speaking.

Aside from the food, the rest of the event is managed by NC AWWA-WEA volunteers, from registration, speaker introductions, moderating, and ensuring that sessions don’t go over their allotted time. For the August 2016 Institute in Raleigh, two NC AWWA-WEA staff members showed up on the first day to help with registration. “It wouldn’t have been possible without all the volunteers and support from the Association,” says King.

“You always have a group of people you can lean on. It’s never up to just one person.” She adds that seeing all the attendees engaged has been very rewarding. The more Institutes she helps to plan, the more comfortable she feels with the process.

“I really enjoy it,” explains King. “There is a lot of value in it. I look forward to making it a better experience each year for both the attendees and the presenters.”

Barton notes that the Seminars and Workshops Committee is always looking for more volunteers to help plan and carry out the Institutes. At the same time, NC AWWA-WEA is continuously improving the Institute program. For instance, smaller utilities are being encouraged to co-host an Institute so that they can take advantage of preferred pricing. Recently, ‘mini’ institutes have been held, such as the one at TRU where 22 seats were reserved for people within the utility, while 18 seats were purchased by guests from five different utilities.

“It was the commitment by all involved in the planning process that made the Institute so successful,” says Scheringer. “Throughout the process, the committee members were very accommodating. They really wanted detailed input to tailor the sessions to our utility’s needs and ensure the speakers understood what topics were requested. They had an obvious desire to provide a meaningful training session. Due to the many benefits of the Institutes, it’s expected that we would host again in the future.”