The Sweetwater Authority recently launched its Work for Water Scholarship, which is available to anyone living in the Authority’s service area. The Authority is a public water agency that provides water to National City, Chula Vista, and Bonita. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to new or currently enrolled students at the Center for Water Studies at Cuyamaca College or another accredited college, community college or trade school with a career goal to work in the water industry.
Authority Sr. Public Affairs Representative Gwyneth Shoecraft said there is breadth of jobs available in the water industry.
“Particularly, for this scholarship, Cuyamaca College has a Center for Water Studies,” she said. “Palomar College has water-focused education, and SDSU has a water institute. So, there is definitely courses in the region specifically geared to certifications that are specific to the water industry like water technology D1 certification and water treatment certifications,”
Shoecraft said that the water industry has many different career options such as working in the financial department, engineers, public affairs, information systems, water waste management, biology, chemist, system operator, electricians. She said there is a wide variety of skill sets that fold nicely into careers in the water industry.
“Sweetwater Authority has positions open where we are recruiting for an engineer now,” she said. “We are continually recruiting for different types of positions.”
Shoecraft said in the application there is a goal statement, so as long as applicants are tying in what their goal is and how it relates to the water industry, it will meet the requirements and be considered.
“What we are trying to do with this scholarship is to shine a light on all the career opportunities in the water industry, so if you are working on civil engineering because you want to work in the water industry to maintain the dams and pipelines infrastructure, which is going to be a better fit for the structure of this scholarship.”
Shoecraft said this is the first year, and a pilot program, and the Authority is excited to see what type of applicants apply.
“We think it is a great opportunity to serve our community and ties in with one of our strategic goals as an organization in Sweetwater’s workforce development,” she said. “It is developing a highly skilled and trained workforce, and then hiring and retaining them as an agency. We are really excited because it is open to anyone in our service area. It is not just high school students and four year colleges. This is for anyone that might be considering a career change, just got out of the service and wants to get their certification and distribution so they can enter the water industry.”
The full scholarship criteria and application are available at www.sweetwater.org/scholarship. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30. Funds will be awarded in late Fall 2022.
