Should AWWA Promote Internships at Utilities

On 2000, AWWA contracted with the authors to conduct a survey to determine whether utility managers and college professors would be interested in an AWWA-sponsored, web-based forum to encourage student internships at utilities. More than 2,000 surveys were distributed to more than 100 academic programs and more than 100 utilities. The response rate was more than 19% for utilities and between 11 and 33% for the academic programs. The survey found that there is overwhelming support (more than 90% of surveys received) for a web-based forum. Respondents said that it is often hard to find qualified students for utility internships because of a lack of contacts, the distance between colleges and utilities, and a lack of a centralized repository for such information. The study also gathered benchmark data about existing student internships, and the respondents provided AWWA with suggestions for improving student experiences in the water utility industry. The authors concluded that AWWA needs to take the next step in establishing the web-based internship forum as part of a larger effort to attract a younger generation to pursue careers at water utilities and increase their involvement with AWWA.