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municipalauthorities.org | 19 r egional i nternship p rograM – h ow t o g uiDe Program Purpose The Regional Internship Program is designed to address the critical workforce shortage in the water/wastewater treatment industry by introducing younger generations to career opportunities in this field. The program aims to combat the "silver tsunami" of retiring Baby Boomers and Gen X workers by creating awareness and building a pipeline of qualified workers. Program Structure The program operates as a collaborative effort between 3-6 participating water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment authorities within a geographic cluster. It runs 8-12 weeks during summer months on a Monday-Thursday schedule, providing interns with diverse experiences across laboratory work, process/operations, customer service, office/ accounting, and IT/GIS systems. Target Participants The program recruits individuals from various backgrounds including recent high school graduates, community college students, degree-seeking students, career changers, and former military personnel re-entering the workforce. Recruiting Digital-First Approach - Create a simple, mobile-friendly website with QR codes for all marketing materials, as the target generation prefers digital over paper flyers. The website should include program purpose, dates, eligibility criteria, salary, application, contact information, and participating organization details. Planning and Coordination - Establish intern capacity parameters (minimum, maximum, and target numbers) and designate a single HR contact person to ensure consistent communication and information management across all inquiries and applications. Outreach Strategy - Build relationships with key stakeholders including school guidance counselors, community colleges, and local and state legislators’ offices. Send all marketing material to these individuals. Participate in job fairs during late winter/early spring and leverage social media through government partners (municipality, county, state elected officials) using consistent messaging and graphics. Additional Channels - Expand recruitment reach through homeowner associations and school/vocational-technical board member networks to maximize program visibility and candidate pool diversity. Implementation Timeline • Late Fall/Winter: Establish participating authorities and intermunicipal agreements • Winter/Early Spring: Develop marketing materials and launch recruitment campaigns • Late Spring: Conduct interviews and make hiring decisions and offers • Early Summer: Complete background checks and begin program operations Key Operational Elements The program requires designated roles including an HR contact person, recruiters, technical support, payroll administrator, and industry expert. Marketing efforts focus on digital platforms with QR codes and websites, targeting school counselors, community colleges, job fairs, and social media channels. Administrative Structure Participating organizations share costs through an intermunicipal agreement, with one authority handling payroll and administrative functions. The program emphasizes consistent messaging, streamlined communication, and proper documentation for audit and billing purposes. S As a continuation of the article in the June 2025 issue on PMAA Region One’s Water and Wastewater Summer Intern Program, the following outlines the implementation plan they developed and utilize for their internship program. Hopefully this will assist you with a practical blueprint for building your own successful program. For the full plan or questions, contact Executive Director of Montgomery Township Municipal Sewer Authority, Shannon Drosnock at 215-393-6930 or sdrosnock@mtmsa.org .