{"id":838,"date":"2021-05-06T14:03:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T18:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/apprenticeship-spotlight-lopez-lacayo\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T18:45:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T23:45:37","slug":"apprenticeship-spotlight-lopez-lacayo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/apprenticeship-spotlight-lopez-lacayo\/","title":{"rendered":"Apprenticeship Spotlight: Johanna Lopez-Lacayo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The people who protect, treat, test, and ensure delivery of Philadelphia\u2019s top-quality water also live in the city, and we take pride in that<\/strong> at the Philadelphia Water Department.<\/p>\n

Our Apprenticeship Program<\/a> is an important source for recruiting talented local residents interested in the diverse opportunities the field of water offers. By cultivating\u00a0their passion and offering hands-on learning, we gain passionate and invested employees who can grow to become nationally recognized experts in their fields.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read about Johanna Lopez-Lacayo, one of our newest Apprentices to officially become a PWD employee below, and learn how you or a hard-working student in your life could participate.<\/h6>\n
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Johanna Lopez-Lacayo: Girls High to Green City<\/h2>\n

Born in Nicaragua and raised in Philadelphia, Johanna Lopez-Lacayo is blazing the trail for other young women as the first female apprentice to become a full-time PWD employee.<\/p>\n

\"Johanna<\/p>\n

Johanna Lopez-Lacayo is now the first female apprentice to promote to a permanent Civil Service title. Next up is a degree in\u00a0Engineering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Johanna attended Philadelphia High School for Girls<\/a>, and credits an AP Environmental Science<\/strong> class with first sparking her interest in a water industry career. Luckily, her city is home to one of the world's most ambitious and celebrated green infrastructure initiatives: Green City, Clean Waters<\/a><\/em>, which completes its first decade this summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After researching the Green City, Clean Waters<\/em> program, Johanna inquired about opportunities with PWD.<\/p>\n

She joined the Apprenticeship Program<\/a> in August of last year and began working in the Utility Plan Review Group<\/a>. Johanna is now the first female apprentice to promote to a permanent Civil Service title<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While working at\u00a0PWD\u00a0with benefits and earning a steady income,\u00a0she is attending Community College of Philadelphia<\/a>\u00a0and plans to pursue a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Engineering.<\/p>\n

When asked what her favorite part of working for PWD is, Johanna points to the strong sense of camaraderie between employees.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s really like a family,\u201d she says.<\/cite> \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trade my team for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What to Know: PWD Apprenticeship Program<\/h2>\n

We\u00a0have used apprentices to fill a variety of positions throughout our 200-plus year history.<\/strong> The current iteration of the PWD Apprenticeship Program started in 2013 when the Department began its partnership with PowerCorpsPHL<\/a>.<\/p>\n