Congratulations to the California Municipal Utilities Association!

New workforce development ‘playbook’ released for California publicly owned water, wastewater, and energy utilities

A new workforce development “Playbook” aims to help California’s publicly owned water, wastewater, and energy utilities (POUs) attract, develop, and retain a new generation of trained workers.

Offering a practical, step-by-step framework, the Playbook equips HR professionals and utility leaders to implement best practices across the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to succession planning. Rooted in the AVO framework — Access, Visibility, and Opportunity — it provides a fresh lens for integrating inclusive practices into core HR processes, while also aligning with each utility’s vision, mission, and values. AVO represents a practical, forward-looking framework for building trust, increasing engagement, and creating high-performing teams across the utility workforce. AVO will strengthen systems so that every employee, candidate, and community member can participate fully and fairly in the work ahead.

Topics covered in-depth in the Playbook include recruitment; compliance; environment, health and safety; training and development; employee and labor relations; and more.

Download the Playbook for free here.

The Playbook is made possible by support from the California Water, Wastewater and Energy Workforce Development Program, which the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) launched in 2023 in partnership with the California African American Water Education Foundation, Jewish Vocational Service, and Water Education for Latino Leaders. The $4 million program is funded through a grant from the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership Program.

Jennifer Persike, Vice Chair of the ACWA Foundation and president of Jennifer Persike & Co., represented the Foundation on the workgroup that helped shape and review the playbook along the way.

Recognizing there is a critical shortage of skilled utility workers in California and nationwide, the program is funding a broad range of training initiatives for new and existing workers, as well as a regional pilot program in Southern California.

For more information about the California Water, Wastewater and Energy Workforce Development Program, visit waterpowerworkforceca.org.

The ACWA Foundation and its Board of Trustees operate separately and independently from ACWA and its Board of Directors.