The promotional graphic for Tap Talk episode #86, featuring a photo of guest Heather Stevenson; and a quote from Heather: "My message to young people would be that you don't have to leave your community to find meaningful work. Water and wastewater operations are going to give you a stable career. They will give you purpose and a chance to protect the place you call home.".
Posted on by lvschul2@illinois.edu

TT086 – Growing Kentucky’s Water Workforce Through Apprenticeship (Part 1)

This week for TT086, our guest is Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Kentucky is one of the 35 states that participates in the National Rural Water Association’s apprenticeship program, and Heather has overseen the building of Kentucky’s program and the development of many successful apprentice graduates since 2019. In Part 1 of our conversation, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer discuss the requirements and basics of KRWA’s program, its history, the advantages it offers to the industry, success stories from graduates, and more.

Topics Discussed

  • Meet Heather Stevenson | LinkedIn
  • Heather’s Water Hero: Everyone in the water industry, from operators to industry communicators to her coworkers and apprentices at Kentucky Rural Water!
  • What are the basics of what Kentucky’s apprenticeship program involves? How is it pitched to interested parties?
  • What hurdles were faced in the early development of the program?
  • Why is apprenticeship a better solution for the water industry?
  • What’s the value of relationships with the state, utilities, and other partners in sustaining the program?
  • How many people have enrolled and completed the program? What are the notable success stories?
  • Connect with Kentucky Rural Water


“My message to young people would be that you don’t have to leave your community to find meaningful work. Water and wastewater operations are going to give you a stable career. They will give you purpose and a chance to protect the place you call home.”

Heather Stevenson

Go Further

You’re invited to discuss the episode in our LinkedIn Group. If you decide to share on Twitter, please use the hashtag #TapTalkPodcast. And, of course, make sure to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Guest

Heather Stevenson is the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Before joining KRWA in 2019, she worked in water & wastewater coordination at the Lake Cumberland Area Development District. In her current role, Heather helped to build and continues to manage Kentucky’s chapter of the National Rural Water Association apprenticeship program for water and wastewater operators.

Heather holds a BA in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Western Kentucky University.