MSD/ERTC scholarship recipients (L-R) Donovan Simpson, Karli Mackey and Jordon Williams.EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), have awarded three SIUE students scholarships for the Water Quality Control Operations Program at the Environmental Resource Training Center (ERTC) of SIUE.

The student recipients include Karli Mackey of Hillsboro, Donovan Simpson of O’Fallon, and Jordon Williams of St. Louis.

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“This is a great opportunity to get into a meaningful career and lessen the financial burden of earning my degree,” said Simpson. “Thanks to the scholarship, I don’t have to pick up a part time job, I can solely focus on my schoolwork.”

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“This scholarship and this program are helping me get my water and wastewater certifications,” said Mackey. “I would like to work my way up to being in some kind of supervisor role at a plant one day, and this opportunity will help me do just that.”

The MSD/ERTC scholarship was created to encourage minorities and females to consider a career in the wastewater field where there is a need for operators in the industry.

Students will be part of ERTC’s one-year Water Quality Control Operations Program leading to potential future internship opportunities. The training will prepare students to become certified wastewater operators in both Missouri and Illinois, setting the students up for a position in the wastewater industry upon graduation.

The mission of the Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC) is to equip students with the job skills and resources needed to thrive in the water and wastewater industry, thereby creating a competent workforce. The ERTC training center is specifically designed to accommodate students’ unique needs. ERTC offers specialized courses for both entry-level personnel who are preparing for a career in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, and those already employed in such systems seeking additional education to upgrade job skills, obtain advanced certification levels, and prepare for positions that are more responsible. In addition, ERTC offers courses for licensed plumbers in cross-connection control or backflow prevention.

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