Cultivating the ‘Green-Force’: Electricity Sector Hiring in the 21st Century

Electricity Canada: The Grid 2022

Michelle Branigan

CEO, Electricity Human Resources Canada

The shift towards cleaner forms of electricity generation such as renewables (solar, wind, hydro, marine tidal, and biomass), coupled with the emergence of innovative technologies like small modular reactors and compounded by fluctuating demographics, has left the electricity workforce with an uncertain future.

Our sector is the largest employer of utility workers in Canada — employing over 100,000 people. While these numbers may seem promising, there is a critical problem: only 5% of the labour force is under 25 years of age, compared to 14% in all other industries. As retirement rates in the sector continue to double the national average and electrification ramps up, it is urgent that the electricity sector begins to attract young and diverse talent.

Power demand is set to rise significantly over the coming decades as our economy becomes increasingly electrified. And with new electrification technologies emerging, as well as the need to meet multiple national and international energy goals such as the 2015 Paris Agreement and the Government of Canada’s strengthened climate plan, a large upheaval looms. Unless we address the sector’s shortage of skilled workers, Canada gambles with the ability to meet its environmental targets.

How can we bolster the electricity workforce in Canada to power the energy systems of our future and ultimately create a successful electrification response? The answer is simple: identify the potential and act accordingly.

Electricity Canada: The Grid 2022

An Inclusive Future

No matter what industry you’re in, there’s no question that a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is paramount in attracting and retaining a full range of qualified professionals. Electricity is an innovative sector, but innovation can only flourish in an environment that encourages diverse perspectives.

A 2021 Government of Canada survey revealed that women make up just 26% of executive leaders in the global energy sector. Nationally, we are facing similar issues. Electricity Human Resource Canada’s (EHRC) Leadershift: Pathways to Gender Equity report concluded that almost half (46%) of the companies surveyed had no women listed in C-suite positions. Even more alarming is that only 7% of women on energy sector boards and executive teams identified as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC).

Additionally, EHRC’s 2020 Generation Impact: Future Workforce Perspectives report found that while Indigenous youth are substantially more likely than others to consider a career in the electricity sector, they are wholly underrepresented within its workforce. According to Statistics Canada, landed immigrants made up the majority (66%) of employment gains between 2016 and 2017; Indigenous peoples are the fastest-growing population in Canada with nearly 45% of Canada’s Indigenous population under 25 years of age, compared to 28% in the rest of Canada; in 2018 women made up nearly 48% of the Canadian workforce and there are currently 645,000 Canadians living with disabilities who have the potential to work in an inclusive labour market but are not currently doing so.

There is no question that diversity is the future, and that the energy sector needs to follow suit.

“As a sector that employs so many Canadians from coast to coast, we must take a leadership stance in changing our demographics [...] In order to address climate change, our industry will be called upon to lead the decarbonization of the broader economy. This requires attracting the best and the brightest minds by being the employer of choice and by providing a workplace where everyone belongs,” says Ken Hartwick, CEO of Ontario Power Generation. “We work closely with EHRC in preparing the industry to be futureready and having the best and most talented people working in this sector.”

To change our demographics, however, we first need to anticipate and mitigate common systemic barriers faced in the recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retention processes. One way that many Canadian organizations are addressing this is by becoming a signatory to commitments focused on advancing, integrating, and prioritizing DEI in the workplace. The Leadership Accord on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is one such commitment in which electricity sector organizations, their leaders, and members can become a part of united action to:

• expand the breadth and depth of the skilled workforce; • ensure that underrepresented groups are informed of opportunities available in the sector of their choice; and, • fully support and provide all individuals with equal opportunities to grow and develop to their full potential, once employed.

Empowering Youth

While Millennials and Gen-Zers believe that climate change is an important issue and want the opportunity to be part of the solution, young people make up far less of the electricity workforce than other sectors. By educating youth about the possibilities available to them, providing work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities, and investing in apprenticeships, we can recruit the skilled talent necessary for a labour force for the future.

EHRC has developed several programs that make attracting new talent easier, and financially feasible. One such program is Empowering Futures, a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity in which co-op students work alongside skilled industry professionals who help prepare them for a future career. To incentivize employers, the program offers a $7,500 per student wage subsidy. The Discovering Potential program which supports employers preparing young workers via internships and on-the-job training provides up to $25,000 per participant. These programs offer tangible opportunities for employers to attract and integrate new talent.

Ultimately, what may prove most important in the success of recruitment and retention efforts is the ability for organizations to position themselves as an employer of choice; in a 2019 labour market intelligence study, 60% of electricity employers reported that they were in direct competition for labour. And with an incredibly tight labour market, we are now competing with every other industry across Canada for talent. Beyond its intrinsic value, using a DEI lens, along with generation-focused messaging and learning opportunities, can help to create an important competitive edge.

If what our country wants is a greener future, then the energy sector needs an influx of qualified workers, and fast. The skilled labour force of the future is out there. Their potential remains to be discovered, developed, and deployed by us.