42 U.S.C. § 300j: Water infrastructure and workforce investment

In this section, the term “public works department or agency” means a political subdivision of a local, county, or regional government that designs, builds, operates, and maintains water infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, and other public water systems and facilities. water and wastewater utilities provide a unique opportunity for access to stable, high-quality careers; as water and wastewater utilities make critical investments in infrastructure, water and wastewater utilities can invest in the development of local workers and local small businesses to strengthen communities and ensure a strong pipeline of skilled and diverse workers for today and tomorrow; and increased collaboration among Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments; and to accelerate career pipelines; to ensure the sustainability of the water and wastewater utility workforce; and to provide access to workforce opportunities. expanding the use and availability of activities and resources that relate to the recruitment, including the promotion of diversity within that recruitment, of individuals to careers in the water and wastewater utility sector; individuals entering into the water and wastewater utility sector; and individuals seeking to advance careers within the water and wastewater utility sector; and expanding the use and availability of activities and strategies, including the development of innovative activities and strategies, that relate to the maintenance and retention of a sustainable workforce in the water and wastewater utility sector. in the development of educational or recruitment materials and activities, including those materials and activities that specifically promote diversity within recruitment, for the water and wastewater utility workforce; in the development of training programs and curricula relevant to workforce needs of water utilities; or developing activities and strategies that relate to the maintenance and retention of a sustainable workforce in the water and wastewater utility sector; and are geographically diverse; are of varying sizes; and serve urban, suburban, and rural populations. on-the-job training; skills development; test preparation for skilled trade apprenticeships; advance training in the water utility sector relating to construction, utility operations, treatment and distribution, green infrastructure, customer service, maintenance, and engineering; or other support services to facilitate post-secondary success; inform people about the role of water and wastewater utilities in their communities; increase the awareness of career opportunities and exposure of students to water utility careers through various work-based learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom; and connect students to career pathways related to water utilities; regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees; hands-on, contextualized learning opportunities; dual enrollment credit for post-secondary education and training or certification programs; and direct connection to industry employers; and leadership development, occupational training, mentoring, or cross-training programs that are designed to retain incumbent water and wastewater utility workforce workers by ensuring that those workers are prepared for higher level supervisory or management-level positions. the Department of Education; the Department of Labor; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Veterans Affairs; and other Federal agencies, as determined to be appropriate by the Administrator. Not later than 2 years after November 15, 2021 , the Administrator, in coordination with the working group established under subparagraph (A), shall submit to Congress a report describing potential solutions to recruitment, training, and retention challenges in the water and wastewater utility workforce. In carrying out the duties of the working group established under subparagraph (A), the working group shall consult with State operator certification programs. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.