OUR SCHOOLS: Hartford Public High School Summer Interns Learn an Industry and Help to Bolster Future Workforce of Hartford Water Company MDC
MDC’s Learn and Earn is a 4 week paid program that took place this year from July 11, 2016 to August 5, 2016. 9 students from NAF’s Academy of Engineering & Green Technology at Hartford Public High School completed the summer program. They spent one week learning about careers pertaining to water and one week learning about careers pertaining to wastewater, including treatment and distribution, system operator licensing requirements, and other careers in water operations.
The remaining two weeks of the program were spent visiting and working in District water and wastewater facilities. Students were exposed to all of the career fields that make up a water/sewer utility service. They received presentations from MDC and industry professionals, and participated in hands-on activities during this training program.
At the celebration which ended this year’s program, the students, who each gave a presentation about their experiences, said they learned so much during their two weeks of intense classroom learning that included everything from water safety and treatment to sample testing, customer service, and finance. The last two weeks were spent in the “field” applying what was learned. They said they did not know how much work went into water distribution. “We thought you just turned on the tap and the water came out. We were amazed to learn about everything that goes into safe drinking water,” said one of the enthusiastic interns.
MDC employees and program leaders, Raymond E. Baral Jr., Assistant Manager of Water Treatment, CEO Scott Jellison, and Hartford Public Schools District Business Partnership Coordinator Tamara Mitchell flank the “graduating” students who completed the summer program.
MDC CEO Scott Jellison spent a generous amount of time speaking with the program graduates about initiative, hard work, college, and career paths at MDC. He stressed that the internships are invaluable hands-on work experiences for youth but also provide MDC with potential future employees, as much of their work force is rapidly approaching retirement age.
The students, who are juniors and seniors — some of whom will go on to two-year colleges, four-year colleges and into the military (Air Force and Marines) include Nushawn Clarke, Kadrian Grant, Celeste Negron, Giovanni Oquendo, Juan Ruiz, Lyneisha Santana, Andral Scarlett, Wilberto Torres, and Andrew Williams.
The program’s coordinator is Raymond E. Baral Jr., Assistant Manager of Water Treatment, The Metropolitan District.
Please watch the MDC Earn & Learn/Water & People Boot Camp Video for 2016.
Video produced for MDC by Brendan Toller, director of the documentary, “Danny Says“
For more information on next year’s program contact:
Tamara Mitchell-Davis, MBA
District Business Partnership Coordinator
Office of Academics
Tel: 860-695-8888
Email: mitct001@hartfordschools.org