| Sustainable hydropower the Hydro Academy Introducing
As the US hydropower workforce faces an impending surge of retirements by 2035, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) is taking proactive measures to address the
evolving needs of the industry. In response to this imminent challenge, NHA has established the Hydro Academy which offers the water power community a variety of courses and workshops to aid in continuing education and professional development. Here Joseph LoSasso, NHA’s Senior Manager for Industry Engagement, gives more details
IN THE HYDROPOWER INDUSTRY, we often hear about a knowledge gap that sometimes arises. Specialisation is prevalent and essential – excelling in a field requires honing expertise, skills, and experience. However, our industry lacks a consistent set of foundational principles for students of hydropower to learn. This absence risks losing context; while someone might excel in using tools and achieving objectives, they may struggle to grasp the underlying “why” or “how” without years of practical experience. This gap has to do with an industry engaging with the entire system of hydropower in a consistent, general way. We think of the phrase “if you’ve been to one hydro, you’ve been to one hydro” because people understand the specialised skill and work they’re meant to do, but may not have been trained on the context for which they are applying and developing skills. This is why a broader and deeper understanding of the system can accelerate learning the “tricks of the trade” and pave the way for innovation. The Hydro Academy’s premiere offering is the
Hydropower System Principles Course which addresses this need by providing a framework for sharing the most critical knowledge in our industry, playing a vital role in its ongoing development. In some ways, this is something our industry might have benefitted from for a long time. Strengthening the industry through the development of training that points at the system principles (if not standards) is a critical function in the transfer of knowledge in any industry. Designed and tested by more than 50 experts, we called on our members and industry partners to offer their best in-class expertise to train hydropower professionals. The programme is designed to educate new hires and accelerate the transfer of knowledge within the industry. It provides training for employees transitioning from other sectors of electric power. Additionally, it aims to broaden the expertise of hydropower industry Subject Matter Experts. Open to everyone interested in learning the principles of hydropower, this programme welcomes participants from all backgrounds.
What services will be offered? 40-Hour Course: Sessions start in 2025: January,
April, July, November. Class sizes are capped at 35. Work through the eight modules in a virtually facilitated, faculty-led setting for five hours once a month. 8-Hour Overview: Taking place four times in 2025,
in-person and co-located at NHA’s two national events: Water Power Week and Clean Currents. The other two Overviews will be delivered virtually in June and December, specific dates and times to be confirmed. Per-Year Licence: Some organisations may prefer to keep their training “in-house” for convenience, customize the content for their specific needs, or as part of a larger training matrix for staff. As a result, we can offer the training programme via yearly licence fee. This option, of course, is meant to be flexible and responsive to the needs of staff, and so we would develop what this looks like on a per-organization basis. Subjects to be covered include: Water to Wires (Overview) Production Planning and Water Management Dam Safety
Equipment, Engineering and Technology Asset Management and Reliability Markets Environment
FERC Licensing & Compliance Launched in October 2024 at our industry technical and innovation event, Clean Currents, the 40-hour Hydropower System Principles Course is set to begin in late January 2025 and will run for eight months.
Industry response Listening to and addressing the needs of the industry
will always be a cornerstone of our work with the Hydropower System Principles and our broader association. While the response and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, we remain committed to continuous improvement. We will actively engage with learners, faculty, and all stakeholders to assess their needs and ensure we deliver a truly world-class learning experience. Through the Hydro Academy we will continue to look for ways to educate the industry while remaining mindful of trainings from industry partners already in place. Therefore, identifying other gaps in knowledge will remain an important step in the development of new education. While we are open to all and have been fortunate to have attendees experience the course from all over the world already, our focus will remain in North America. However, there may be interest in exploring how our sister associations train the industry in other parts of the world.
Above: The NHA’s Hydro Academy offers the water power community a variety of courses and workshops to aid in continuing education and professional development
More information
To learn more and reserve a spot in one of the classes visit
https://www.hydro.org/ hydropower-system- principles-course/ or email
joseph@hydro.org.
www.waterpowermagazine.com | January 2025 | 29
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