On hand to celebrate a donation from Pennsylvania American Water to Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School recently were, front row, from left, Regina Hiler, executive director of the vo-tech; Sam Zurzolo, Butler Township commissioner, Liz Triscari, Pennsylvania American Water senior corporate counsel; and Justin Ladner, Pennsylvania American Water president; and back row, from left, Butler County Commissioners Kim Geyer, Leslie Osche and Kevin Boozel. Submitted photo

The Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School has received a $25,000 Workforce Readiness and STEM Education Grant from the Pennsylvania American Water Charitable Foundation.

The grant was presented Oct. 8 with check accepted by Regina Hiler, executive director of the vo-tech.

Gary Lobaugh, government and external affairs director at Pennsylvania American, said the grant will help the school develop the next generation of workers to address shortages at wastewater treatment plants. Citing numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lobaugh said about 10,300 openings will need to be filled every year to replace operators who are retiring.

“This shortage poses significant challenges, particularly for small and rural municipalities that rely heavily on these skilled operators to maintain essential public health services,” Lobaugh said. “We believe partnering with local nonprofit organizations, such as the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School, to educate and empower students and job seekers extends our collective mission to grow and maintain a strong workforce.”