First, if anybody knows anybody involved in the WQA website Dittohead referenced, tell them that their PDF registration link points to an old markup version of the 2012 form. They have thoughtfully not provided any links to contact the webmaster (or anyone else).
Now on to the thread subject. I'm strictly an amateur DIYer, but I like to know what I'm doing. I checked out the WQA education offerings a while back and decided they were too pricey for me, but I did buy the WQA "Water Treatment Fundamentals" book off that well-known auction site just to get the lay of the land.
I am impressed. There's a sound scientific grounding, and a comprehensive look at the field. It has almost encouraged me to spend the big bucks and start along the CWS path. If the convention were to be held in a more convenient venue for me (Orlando would be great), I would attend, but the travel expense for a week is prohibitive. If you can write this off for business purposes, I think it would be an excellent place to start and a very valuable experience for you.
I have mixed feelings about licenses and certifications. I hold multiples of these in several fields, and don't hold these in lots of other fields I dabble in, so can speak out of both sides of my my mouth. On balance, all they do is show the world that at one time in your life you were able to pass whatever exams were required to obtain them. I know of folks who have certifications but are absolutely incompetent in the field, and I know others I consider experts who hold no paperwork whatsoever. If your chosen field requires a license, the decision whether to get one or not has been made for you; if not, it's up to you. In the latter case, as a (former) hiring manager, I looked upon anyone who had voluntarily gone through the certification process in a more favorable light than one who had not, all things being equal. BUT a certification alone means squat without the ability, skill, and enthusiasm to back it up -- and these sometimes show up without the certifications.