The promotional graphic for Tap Talk episode #87, featuring a photo of guest Heather Stevenson; and a quote from Heather: "In this space and in apprenticeship, relationships are everything. And so we need the operator, the educator, and the regulator at the table to help figure out what is going to make this work.".
Posted on by lvschul2@illinois.edu

TT087 – Growing Kentucky’s Water Workforce Through Apprenticeship (Part 2)

This week we continue talking with Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Last week, we discussed the development of Kentucky’s rural water apprenticeship program. Here in Part 2, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer continue to discuss the current direction of the program, the use of VR as a training tool, the importance of on-the-job training, the necessity of building relationships in the water industry, 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!
  • The future direction of KRWA’s apprenticeship program
  • The differences it has made in Kentucky
  • Using VR technology in training and the value of novel training tools
  • Importance of on-the-job training and not just “teaching to the exam”
  • What do potentially interested future apprentices need to know about joining the program?
  • How much does Heather has learned from this job about how to run a water or wastewater plant?
  • Connect with Kentucky Rural Water


“In this space and in apprenticeship, relationships are everything. And so we need the operator, the educator, and the regulator at the table to help figure out what is going to make this work.”

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.