Veolia launches free online training program for water, wastewater treatment jobs

Veolia North America, an environmental services company with operations in the U.S. and Canada, is opening its in-house training program to the public to support skills acquisition for those looking for jobs in the water and wastewater treatment industry.

The program, called Veolia Academy, offers free online courses to learn technical skills and prepare for state certifications necessary for a career in the industry. According to Veolia, the environmental services field needs tens of thousands of new workers across the country to handle today’s environmental challenges.

Veolia first developed Veolia Academy in 2021 to help prepare its own employees. To date, more than 200 employees have successfully completed over 400 courses. Veolia Academy training has been approved by 38 states, with more in the process, through each state’s licensing and regulation authorities.

“America literally cannot function without strong water and wastewater infrastructure, but a generational wave of retirements means the industry is heading toward a staffing crisis. Veolia Academy helps our own employees gain the skills necessary to move up in their careers, and by opening its doors to everyone for free, we’re helping America protect its water resources while giving Americans good-paying jobs, pride and the tools to enter a great career,” says Fred Van Heems, president and CEO of Veolia North America.

“Water industry jobs are reliable, pay well, often require no more than a high school diploma and protect the environment,” Van Heems adds. “At a time when America’s water supply faces threats from newly discovered contaminants and long-term drought, Veolia North America is proud of our educational efforts to develop the workforce necessary to tackle those challenges.”

Van Heems announced the open-source Veolia Academy initiative to dozens of the nation’s mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 91st Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, which took place June 2-5. Many American cities have struggled to recruit and train the workforce for their water operations, according to Veolia, and Veolia Academy offers mayors a “free, easily accessible online tool for their own residents to fill those vital jobs close to home.”

Veolia Academy is built on an online training site, www.academy.veolia.us, with more than 100 courses in seven “learning paths” covering the operations and maintenance of water and wastewater systems. These operations include treating and distributing drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, testing water quality in the lab and maintaining the complex equipment that makes it all run.

The courses were developed and delivered by Veolia North America employees who are experts in their respective fields. The company also partners with vocational and technical schools to provide the curriculum necessary to prepare students to enter the water treatment workforce. 

Every state requires water and wastewater workers to obtain operating licenses based on a combination of mandatory training, job experience and/or examinations.

“Veolia Academy has helped our employees improve their skills and advance their careers, and by opening that ladder to anyone who wants to work in the industry, we’re helping staff America’s water infrastructure at a crucial time for the environment,” says Karine Rougé, CEO of municipal water for Veolia North America. “Veolia Academy helps our employees, our customers and our communities. We’re glad we can open those benefits to everyone.”