TCP Volunteers. Photo by CWEA Staff.

Certifications Help Build a High Performing Workforce

The Value of CWEA Certifications
By John Vogel, CWEA Technical Certification Program (TCP) Chair, Ross Valley Sanitary District, CWEA Certifications

John Vogel, TCP Chair. Photo by Ross Valley SD.

Let’s say you’re browsing through a batch of applications for a collection system operator role within your agency. Several candidates hold one or more professional certifications, the others do not. Do certified candidates stand out to you? Is a certified workforce valuable to a water or wastewater agency?

Certifications help set a benchmark for standards and the water profession and regulators are overwhelmingly embracing certification programs. As a result, programs are growing exponentially nationwide, including our own technical certification program. We’ve achieved a record high of 7,185 certifications held this year.

As Chair of CWEA’s Technical Certification Program, I want to assure members and agencies that we are focused on continuously improving our program so we can help you raise the bar, aim for even higher standards, build a high performing team, and provide outstanding service for our agencies and for the benefit of all Californians.

Revalidations on Track

For the first time in our history, we are on a consistent five-year revalidation schedule, reviewing, refreshing, and rewriting one of our practice area certifications every year. Each July we issue the new exams and handbook, one practice area at a time, year after year. This year we launched the refreshed Environmental Compliance Inspector exams and handbook.

CWEA is committed to serving members and stakeholders by ensuring our exams remain current in this always evolving industry. Every cycle, we convene teams of subject matter experts to consider new technologies, techniques, and regulations and decide what gets added and what gets removed from exams. These individuals bring unparalleled expertise and a deep commitment to upholding high professional standards.

To get to this point it has taken hundreds of volunteer subject matter experts, countless hours for staff, and diligent investments to maintain the continuous improvement schedule. Our exams are not relics from the past, rather we are continually updating them to remain relevant, rigorous, and focused on the job tasks of today.

Enhancing Operations, Safety, and Reputations

For agencies, what are the key benefits of having CWEA certified team members? Here are a few thoughts.

  • Demonstrating knowledge and fostering lifelong learning – CWEA certification ensures team members meet essential competency standards and developed by a diverse team of subject matter experts. Preparing for certification not only deepens expertise but also encourages continual learning, skill growth, and networking, helping staff advance in their careers, and apply for new promotional opportunities.
  • Upholding industrywide safety standards – CWEA certification exams include comprehensive health and safety sections, ensuring your team members are well-versed in critical safety practices. This helps maintain strong industry wide safety standards, while providing confidence that water professionals can work safely and effectively.
  • Showcasing the agency’s commitment to workforce excellence for the public and regulators – Professional certifications are widely recognized and respected in America, benefiting both the individual and the employer. It can enhance your agency’s reputation among stakeholders, including elected officials, the public, unions, partner agencies, and State Water Board regulators. Highlighting certified professionals demonstrates a commitment to excellence and high standards.
  • Building a supportive community – CWEA is committed to supporting agency leaders in certification efforts, working together on training, exam readiness, and managing your team’s certifications. Certifications help build a stronger, more engaged workforce ready to tackle California’s rapidly changing climate. In a recent survey, 60% of our certified members said their employers supported pursuing certification. Working together, we can grow the number of agencies supporting CWEA certification and build a strong, supportive community across all of California.

What’s important to me as Chair of CWEA’s Technical Certification Program is ensuring we focus on and support you. Every member and every agency leader deserve our support when they need it. One person at a time.  Reach out to me or CWEA’s professional staff and let us know what help and support you need.

CWEA is not just a certifying body, we are recognized across California, and even the nation, as maintaining high standards for certification excellence and innovation. It’s why several states have asked us to use our certifications.

For our agency partners, let’s celebrate and raise the profile of California’s certified water professionals. Please consider celebrating them in newsletters, websites, Board meetings, wall displays, and at special agency events.

All of us can be champions for those CWEA certified professionals out there, continually raising the bar on standards, and cheering them on as they lead us forward in building a sustainable water environment for all Californians.


John is Chair of the Technical Certification Program. Reach CWEA’s Member Services Team at [email protected]. In the next issue, John will shift the focus and discuss the value of certification for members.