Eric Morales, who began his time at Eastern Municipal Water District as a Youth Ecology Corps participant, is now hired as a full-time employee. Valley News/Courtesy photo
PERRIS – For nearly a decade, Eastern Municipal Water District has been at the forefront of helping to promote careers in the water industry through an innovative and unique program that engages area youth in a partnership with the Riverside County Workforce Investment Board.EMWD’s Youth Ecology Corps program has been in place since 2013 and has provided young adults in EMWD’s 558-square mile service area the opportunity to work part-time for a 12-week program. Since its inception, several hundred young adults have participated in the program, which allows them to shadow EMWD employees, learn valuable job training skills and introduce them to the water industry for potential careers.As the water industry continues to face a “Silver Tsunami” of impending retirements, there