done

In last fall’s economic statement, the Federal government committed $250 million over five years in order to help train the workforce for the needs of a net-zero economy. This is important as governments, in partnership with key stakeholders, must consider a number of initiatives to ensure Canada has the human capital and the skills needed to successfully transition to a net-zero economy:

Improve labour mobility.

Unrestricted labour mobility is important to fill available vacancies across the country. Federal and provincial/territorial governments should take immediate action to align provincial occupational standards to work in key sectors such as electricity.

Identify skills gaps and provide targeted support.

The energy transition requires the identification of key skills and competencies. Several of the federal government’s sustainable job initiatives announced in the fall economic statement will assist with this. Federal and provincial/territorial government should collaborate and introduce targeted investments and tax credits for skills training (up-skilling and re-skilling) for Canadians to ensure people can apply for skilled work and adapt to rapid shifts in the labour market due to the clean energy transition and technological change.

Remove barriers for international students.

New international student graduates can play an important role in Canada’s energy transition. The federal governments should identify and remove barriers to those students seeking permanent residency in Canada, especially people who can support critical infrastructure sectors.

Increase youth employment opportunities.

Development of skills and knowledge through youth employment is a key imperative for meeting our long-term climate change objectives. Government should consider providing financial support to increase opportunities for youth, such as co-op, internships and other work placements so that they can find work rapidly upon graduation.

Support Indigenous workers.

The Indigenous workforce is set to expand significantly in the next decade and all levels of government should make targeted investments to support Indigenous employment in the electricity sector, through financial support for Indigenous students entering university or college level programs.

Remove barriers to foreign credential recognition.

International credential recognition is crucial for filling the ongoing labour and skills shortage. Governments should collaborate to develop a nationally consistent and transparent foreign credential evaluation system which would help identify and remove barriers to recognizing foreign credentials.

Support apprenticeship training. Governments should continue investments in training and workforce development, including providing electricity companies financial incentives/grants for hiring apprentices and providing tailored training and development for existing workers.

Support diversity and inclusion.

Ensuring diversity and inclusion is a business imperative for the electricity industry. Governments can support industry efforts through robust diversity-related labour data collection and dissemination; best practice frameworks for reducing hiring biases (conscious or unconscious); and guidance for establishing corporate performance metrics, especially in the context of environmental, social and governance considerations.

Lack of skilled labour can further delay the clean energy transition. In fact, there won’t be any breakthrough Canadian innovations to meet net zero without highly skilled people or a knowledgeable and educated workforce. Investing in Canada’s workforce is important for us to be able to achieve a sustainable future.