Vermont has many small systems who are interested in learning about and implementing asset management to: build resiliency, address decaying infrastructure, solve a problem, improve communication and service delivery to customers, and determine the most efficient way to spend their limited dollars.  We have been assisting Vermont with training and technical assistance in asset management for 5 years. We provide a performance-based training approach in which the attendees are taught about the core concepts of asset management during a series of training events. After each training, the attendees are asked to complete an assignment (an asset management applied activity) so they can try out what they learned in class.  At the following class they discuss how the activity went and they are given a chance to discuss any questions, successes or failures with their peers.    Also, each system is asked to choose a particular concern they would like to address. Some examples include: where are the customer meters located, how are commercial meters performing, where are isolation valves located?  In this way, the attendees are learning through doing and at the same time solving a problem that is important to them. Following the training, they are equipped to address additional parts of asset management. 

The Asset Management Training Program has also included the addition of an asset management users group meeting where systems from all rounds of training, as well as systems from Vermont, are invited to attend trainings and share with each other what they have accomplished.  This is one more peer to peer learning opportunity for the systems.