obligatory posting quote from han suyin (specifically, a mortal flower 1966) regarding [western] sinology
spoilered for suicide mention
spoiler
One evening in March 1965, I was at the University of Columbia Library of East Asian studies in New York. There, upon the steel shelves, were the publications delineating the beginning and the growth o the Chinese Communist Party. With almost hysterical passion, with an ecstasy of hatred akin to love, the American experts on China seek to document China for themselves. China is an abiding passion with them, they scarcely talk or think of anything else. And the phenomenon, so unexpected, of an Asian nation driven to the depths of abject misery, and rising again so swiftly, against all the rules and maxims of their expertise, is a frustration “which makes them foam at the mouth,” as my friend Colonel David Barrett writes. “We can never forget that we lost China, we’re going crazy about it, we’re half insane, like people who kill what they cannot possess and then commit suicide.
I don't have personal experience here, but something I looked into for myself in the past (and don't currently have much opportunity to get into atm) as a starting point is workforwater.org -- more or less similar advice re:look at prospective career paths specific to what you're looking for. That website/org seems to have a (nation)wide but not super deep network to help connect mentors, apprenticeships/ish (depending on the role/location), and intern programs, at least for both water utilities and wastewater treatment industry. Either way, it's a leg up in terms of networking for that specific area. Many of the higher positions require engineering, although I can't recall if it's mechanical or civil or either/both.
Just thought to put it out there in case you had some interest in that field, infrastructure might be crumbling in this country but it's still sorely needed, and will be needed always... so, points for job availability and stability.
Dark factories sounds really awesome (best bet would be mechanical->robotics or electrical??) but unless you plan to leave the US I can't see heavy or innovative automation getting off the ground here unless it's under the graces of bezos or musk or their ilk, or a startup looking to eventually get acquired by venture capital (this is an extremely precarious position to be in, startups fail all the time but even when they "succeed" eg get bought out, your position may be eliminated in the acquisition process).