New Jersey American Water says its Water UP! program has graduated 61 people since 2021, highlighting a workforce-training effort as the company recognized its 2026 group in Camden.
The ceremony took place at the company’s Camden headquarters on Oct. 28. The release’s main text says 10 people from the 2026 cohort were recognized, while a photo caption identifies 11 as graduates. It does not explain the difference.
The company describes Water UP! as an introduction to careers in water services and related utility work. The 10-week program included classroom study and field exercises, it said. The curriculum included utility operations and OSHA safety training. The curriculum also addressed financial literacy, customer service and leadership.
Hopeworks, a Camden-based organization that worked with the program’s first class in 2021, helped recruit and prepare the 2026 participants, according to New Jersey American Water. The company said some members of the latest group live in Camden. Graduate Mia Morales, a Hopeworks alumna, credited the program with giving her “confidence and competence” to pursue work in utilities. She also described practice with replacing water meters and responding to breaks in water mains.
New Jersey American Water has linked the program to employer demand for people prepared to work in essential infrastructure. In August, it pointed to Myles Jefferson, who participated in 2023. The company said Jefferson gained experience at Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority and later took a utility mechanic job at PSE&G. The October announcement gave no overall job-placement total or count for the 2026 class.
The 2026 release calls the group the program’s fifth graduating class. A Dec. 3, 2025, announcement described that year’s cohort as the fifth annual class. The company did not explain the difference in class numbering.
