If we don't start doing inittives and getting new fresh faces into this industry it's going to become a national crisis.
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Building a Pipeline to the Future of Water Management
High school-industry initiative bolsters water infrastructure workforce at schools like Upper Cape Tech
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28 May 2026 – FALMOUTH, MA – A Boston-based environmental solutions organization says its classroom-to-workforce program connects high school with industry to build a pipeline for the next generation of in-demand water infrastructure jobs.
Veolia partners with school like Upper Cape Tech to create a classroom-to-workforce pipeline for students to enter the water infrastructure industry upon graduation. On May 20, students, educators, utilities and industry leaders discussed Veolia’s initiative during a panel at the New England Water Environment Association Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Falmouth.
What is the future of clean water?
The United States’ water infrastructure is hurtling toward a national crisis, as many experienced members of the workforce near retirement. According to environmental solutions organization Veolia, 30 percent of active professionals are age 55 or older and 40 percent are expected to retire within the next decade.
What’s an industry to do? Veolia says the answer is straightforward: partner and teach.
How can we build a new generation?
“What we’re seeing at our plants where we’re hosting interns is it’s reinvigorating our plant staff,” said Scott Beeney, Workforce Development and Community Engagement Leader at Veolia. “They wanna share what they have, they just didn’t realize they wanted to share.”
What does the program do?According to Beeney, Veolia helps schools develop effective courses using educator-developed water and wastewater curriculums. The resulting one-year program blends classroom learning, site visits, hands-on experience and preparation for licensing exams necessary to enter the workforce.
“I wanted to highlight, they’re still in high school and passing these licensing exams,” Beeney said.
How big is the problem?
Unless more young people enter the industry, workplace leaders say the departure of long-tenured workers will lead to significant talent gaps in critical systems, such as wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. According to Veolia, less than five percent of the active workforce is under age 24.“We need to build up that next group who can take this over,” said Beeney. “A lot of the industry came in after the Clean Water Act in the 70s. Well, what happens with that? They’re all leaving at the same time.”
How is the program going?
On May 20, students and educators from the program spoke with utilities and industry leaders during a panel discussion at the New England Water Environment Association Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Falmouth. The panel discussion covered the impact and future of Veolia’s initiative and provided students with an opportunity to share experiences from their internship with the program.
“A lot of people can have a little bit of anxiety about hosting a high schooler on a site, especially a wastewater plant or a water plant,” Beeney said. “And we wanted to calm their nerves by introducing them to these students and seeing how professional they act, how serious they’re taking this position.”
Based on the reactions of the 30-40 people in attendance, Beeney considers the panel a rousing success.
“What was cool was seeing the emotion in the room it brought out,” he said. “There was people teary-eyed, but that’s where we’re at in the industry. We thought we were on an island and this is proving we’re not anymore. There’s help on the way, we just gotta cultivate it.”
Where does the program run?
As of spring 2026, Veolia’s classroom-to-workforce programs are limited to New England. However, workforce shortages are an urgent concern for water infrastructure systems across the country.
Moving forward, Beeney says Veolia aims to build off the initiative’s early success and launch high school courses nationwide. Furthermore, he says the organization plans to start working with opportunity youth and veterans as well.
“Congress did a joint session in late 2024 to talk about if we don’t start doing initiatives [to get] new, fresh faces into this industry, that it’s gonna become a national crisis,” Beeney said. “We have to have individuals who can run and operate these plants to keep the water safe for public health.”
