Eugene/Springfield Water Pollution Control Facility 1984-1991

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Page 72 Section J: TRAIDIING PROGRAM tors received training on equipment such as clari- fiers, instrumentation, rotary air compressors, air blowers, odorous air system, and various pumps. The plant's computer programmer wrote opera- tion manuals and provided hands-on training for the operation of the plant's process control com- puter. The plant operations supervisors provided a series of detailed training sessions thatfocused on system design and operation. The four wastewater plant supervisors were asked to develop .and provide training for the staff located in specific areas of the plant: pretreatment and primary treatment, sec- ondary treatment, final treatment, and sludge di- gestion and cogeneration. Each area was further broken down into at least three training modules. ^ APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM In 1986, approximately two years after plant start- up, the division director identified the need for a formal training program and proposed an appren- ticeship program for the wastewater technician series. The purpose of the program was to provide a structured training for new employees and also for Technician II's who wanted to advance to the Technician III level. The City of Eugene and AFSCME agreed that an apprenticeship program would be of benefit to all participants. A committee of management and AFSCME-representedemployees workedwith the State of Oregon Bureau of Labor to develop the state's first wastewater occupation apprenticeship program. Creation of the program, which had to be devel- opedfrom the ground up, was a formidable under- taking. The phases of development consisted of identifying the number of programs needed, defin- ing the skill level of the journeyman technician, identifying the training and on-the-job training needed todevelop anentry=level apprentice into a journeyman, determining the minimum qualifica- tions for entry into the programs, developing job descriptions for the apprentices of each program, obtaining approval of the programs from the State MAINTENANCE Maintenance staff received in-house training pri- marilythrough equipment manufacturer represen- tatives forplantequipment, such as the digester gas mixing compressors, instrument air compressors, instrumentation, boiler, chlorine and sulfur diox- ide feed equipment, enginators, screw lift pumps, various other pumps, and major process equip- ment. LABORATORY Laboratory technicians receivedmostof their train- ing on new laboratory equipment through hands- on training provided by the laboratory supervisor. Some training in the more complex laboratory equipment, such as the atomic adsorption spectra photometer, was provided by equipment manufac- turer representatives. Apprenticeship Training Council, and setting up an official apprenticeship committee. It took about one yearfrom the time it was decided to pursue an apprenticeship training program to official state recognition. However, even after one yearofdevelopmentandofficialrecognition,much more work remained. Areas of further develop- ment included enrollment of all technicians into the program, evaluating each Technician II to determine level of placement, setting up a record's system to track the progress of each apprentice, setting standards to test the progress of each ap- prentice, establishing a system for final exams, defining standards for inadequate progress and expulsion, and developing written rules and proce- duresfor the apprenticeship committee. At this time, apprenticeship programs are in place for Operations, Equipment Maintenance, Labora- tory, and Industrial Waste Monitoring occupa- tions. The electricians are the only technician series for employees not in the apprenticeship program because it was already covered under existing state apprentice programs. All of the plant's electricians are either apprentices or journeymen under those state programs.