Henry Ford College grad helping provide clean water to local communities

A group of 20 Henry Ford College students recently graduated with the certification and hands-on training needed to work in water treatment facilities that bring clean water to a number of Michigan communities. The program is made possible through a partnership between HFC and GLWA to help close the gap between the large number of technicians needed in water treatment facilities in southeast Michigan and the number of qualified candidates. Gari Levy is one of 19 students from the most recent class who have accepted full-time positions with the Great Lakes Water Authority. 

The partnership between HFC and GLWA began in 2017, with the Electrical Instrumentation Control Technician – Instrumentation (EICT-I) apprentice being the first apprenticeship program established. Student apprentices in the program work one-on-one with GLWA journey workers, rotating positions every six months to ensure they learn all facets of the industry. Students also attend HFC classes designed by experts from GLWA during the three-year program. Through both the classroom instruction and on-the-job training, participants learn about the maintenance of water treatment systems, including the calibration and installation of a variety of instruments. 

The training process is critical to developing the highly-skilled workers required in the industry. As chief organizational development officer at GLWA, Terri Tabor Conerway, explained in a recent release from HFC, "It can take a new employee 2-3 years to learn the competencies needed to successfully fulfill the daily tasks required of a skilled water sector position, so on-the-job training is an essential part of the program. GLWA is committed to investing in these areas, as this program is crucial to attracting and maintaining the highly-trained talent needed to provide water of unquestionable quality and safe and sanitary wastewater treatment to the people of southeast Michigan."

Levy, as one of the recent students to complete the program, reflected on what he learned and gained through the program. "The duties of an EICT-I mainly consist of troubleshooting and performing preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance includes calibrating transmitters that measure pressure and flow among other things that the system relies on to ensure the system is run properly and efficiently. Everyone in GLWA relies on the instruments we maintain to work properly in order to do their jobs," Levy said. He also added, "I appreciated the opportunity to attend HFC, where I gained a profound appreciation for the acuity it takes to be an EICT-I. This experience has allowed me to earn a certification in mechatronics, which also has allowed me the opportunity to now work as a full-time EICT-I."