A documented shortage of water and wastewater operators poses a challenge to communities along the US-México border – an arid region rapidly overcoming historic economic and social pressures and now facing the global challenge of climate change.

Through binational cooperation and the active development of local partnerships, The Trust for the Americas through its Skills for Sustainability project solves this problem by facilitating the career training and job placement of a new generation of water resource professionals who are both future-focused and public service-oriented.

The initiative in El Paso, Texas, spearheaded by the STTE Foundation in collaboration with Western Tech and El Paso Water serves as a pilot for future projects across the international border region. The 18-month program has graduated 104 trainees, with the goal of placing 100 in meaningful employment.

Learning from the El Paso pilot, future efforts under the aegis of S4S will prepare historically underserved communities to innovatively address sustainability challenges across a range of relevant sectors. This will help to secure our binational region as a resilient and prosperous home for generations to come.