ESCANABA – Bay College, in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College and the city of Grand Rapids, has announced that its collaborative Water to Work Internship program has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 National Council for Workforce Education Exemplary Workforce Credit Award during their annual conference held in Norfolk, Virginia.

The award recognizes the innovative, scalable, and high-impact nature of the Water to Work program, which seamlessly integrates academic coursework, paid internships, and industry-aligned training. Students enrolled in the program complete online water courses through Bay College toward a Water Technology Certificate while simultaneously engaging in real-world paid internships with municipal water departments coordinated through GRCC and local public utilities. This “learn-while-working” model positions graduates to enter the water and wastewater sector with both classroom and hands-on experience.

Through NCWE’s criteria, awardees are evaluated on executive vision, partnerships, economic impact, measurable results, advancement of equity and replication potential–standards that the Bay College and GRCC collaborative effort met with distinction.