As Valley Water continues its important work of providing Silicon Valley with safe, clean water and guaranteeing a water supply for the future, we are also striving to develop the next generation of water professionals.
Valley Water works to achieve that goal through an internship program that relies on strong relationships with educational organizations in Santa Clara County. Since adopting a formal internship program in 2011, Valley Water has equipped hundreds of college students from across California with the tools necessary to fill the shortage of qualified and trained professionals in the water industry.
During that time Valley Water has hired 27 interns into full-time positions. And Valley Water’s internship program has expanded in the past two years with the addition of high school students in 2017 and a skilled-trade program last year, culminating with 148 interns in 2018.
In October, Valley Water’s intern program was recognized as a top-10 nominee in the 2019 Partnerships for Industry and Education (PIE) Contest. The PIE Contest was created by the California Economic Summit, a diverse network of business, equity, environmental, and civic organizations, to reward employer-education partnership programs that are making progress in preparing California workers with skills they need to succeed in their region.
Valley Water emerged as one of the top 10 nominees from a field of nearly 100 partnerships between public or private employers and California educational institutions. Valley Water takes great pride in our efforts to secure a skilled workforce that reflects the multi-cultural and ethnic diversity of Santa Clara County.
To bolster our internship program, Valley Water has created partnerships with numerous educational organizations in Santa Clara County, including San Jose State’s MESA Engineering Program, Cal State East Bay, Gavilan Community College, Bright Futures, Next Gen Regional and Baywork.
Valley Water targets students within Santa Clara County in order to encourage students to stay and work in their community. We search for students who are keen on converting their skills, ambition, and academic accomplishments into real-work success.