EFC’s Electro|POD: A Call for Young Professionals to Take a Seat at the Standards Table

July 14, 2022

Podcast Topic: A Call for Young Professionals to Take a Seat at the Standards Table
Announcer: Daniela De Marco, EFC
Interview supporters: Gurvinder Chopra, EFC, and Roxanne Lafond, EFC.
Interviewees: Namita Rai, SCC Program Manager, Member Services, Polad Zahedi, 2016 IEC YP winner, Technical Engineer/Officer at Ontario Power Generation Inc., and Chu Cheng, 2019 IEC YP winner, Senior P&C Engineer with MHO Technologies in Alberta.

A Call for Young Professionals to Take a Seat at the Standards Table

The ‘Talent Gap’ has been identified as a top concern affecting the electrical industry, including participation in standards development. Of the 42,000+ people that EFC member companies currently employ, over 10,000 of these employees are over the age of 55, which means there will be an influx of retirements within the next decade! Young professionals have an opportunity to take a seat at the Standards development table to participate in various product verticals on a technical or advisory level.

Daniela De Marco, EFC, with guest hosts Gurvinder Chopra, EFC, and Roxanne Lafond, EFC, have a conversation with Namita Rai, SCC Program Manager, Member Services, Polad Zahedi, 2016 IEC YP winner, Technical Engineer/Officer at Ontario Power Generation Inc., and Chu Cheng, 2019 IEC YP winner, Senior P&C Engineer with MHO Technologies in Alberta. Namita Rai gives insight into SCC’s opportunities for young professionals, and Chu and Polad share what they gained as IEC YP competition winners. This conversation further discusses the myths stopping young professionals from contributing to standards development, what the electrical industry and standards community can do to bridge the ‘Talent Gap,’ and why the involvement of YPs in this space is key to Canada’s future prosperity.

Listen to the podcast on: Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts or Spotify.