Veolia and Delgado Community College create student pathways to environmental careers

New Orleans, LA – Veolia, the world’s leading provider of water services and environmental solutions, and Delgado Community College, the largest community college in Louisiana, are launching a Workforce Development Internship Program to provide students with hands-on experience to help them obtain jobs and start careers in the wastewater treatment, sustainability and environmental sectors. 

The program offers students the opportunity to work alongside Veolia's experienced professionals at the New Orleans East Bank and West Bank wastewater treatment facilities. The internships will prepare students to build strong careers while providing environmental security to hundreds of thousands of people in the region.

Internship program offers practical training and coaching 

Delgado Community College serves an average of 21,000 students annually, and its graduates account for 1 of every 90 jobs in the New Orleans region. Delgado’s Workforce Development, which is collaborating with Veolia on the internships, works with business and industry partners to provide a variety of traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities to students. The initial cohort will provide internships to 15 students.

Delgado’s curriculum, paired with Veolia’s hands-on training, will provide students with real-world experience that prepares them for certification and employment in the vital water and wastewater sectors. These experiences will foster a deeper understanding of water industry practices, promote problem solving skills, and help students build relationships with water sector professionals.

Veolia continues to expand its workforce development footprint, targeting high school students and recent graduates, opportunity youth, technical and community colleges, universities and retired military members. In the 2024-25 school year, Veolia reached more than 55,000 students across its American municipal water operations, including educational tours for thousands of students and more than 2,000 classes taught. By building strong partnerships with school systems and non-profit organizations, Veolia is transforming workforce development and opening new career pathways for the next generation of the water workforce.

Veolia’s strategic GreenUp program to depollute, decarbonize and preserve resources inspires its comprehensive workforce development efforts across the United States, which provide outreach, training and support to help people find fulfilling careers in the water industry. Veolia programs offer specialized outreach to high school and college students as well as promising individuals who never received their degrees; retired military members entering the civilian workforce after serving their country; and people in underserved areas seeking good jobs that help their communities.