Crossposted from WTD Clean Water Stories 

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is looking for operators to monitor complex industrial equipment and the flows going through them. Operators check readings and take water samples to make sure things are running smoothly. Good operators are hard to find – and desperately needed. WTD needed a way to bring in talented, new people and help them get certified as quickly as possible, so they started an Operator-in-Training (OIT) program to find and train their own operators. 

“Part of our program is to show people enough about wastewater for them to decide for themselves if it is the job for them,” says Denise Chanez, OIT training program coordinator. Applicants don’t need a college degree; in fact, they don’t need any experience in wastewater. As trainees learn and develop, they are eligible for job progression and promotional opportunities.  

Applications to join this year’s class of recruits are due January 17, 2021. Trainee positions are paid $48,004-$60,849 annually, include full benefits, and are eligible for overtime. To learn more about the OIT program and apply, click here.

To read more about the program, view the original blog post for this story.