EHRC Honours Mike Allen of Ontario Power Generation at its 5th Annual Awards of Excellence Event

EHRC
March 1, 2018
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), Canada’s leading source for human resources research and tools for the electricity and renewable energy industry, recently held its 5th Annual Award of Excellence luncheon in downtown Toronto. The event featured Mike Allen, Ontario Power Generation’s Senior Vice President, Nuclear Refurbishment, who was recognized for winning EHRC’s 2017 Leader of the Year Award, for his outstanding contribution within the Canadian Electricity industry.
 
The Leader of the Year award was established by EHRC in 2013 to recognize and celebrate an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their organization within the Canadian electricity industry through visionary people management strategies and leadership. This year’s event sponsors included: The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO),The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO),Alectra, Ontario Power Generation, Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE), Power Workers Union, Hydro Ottawa, The Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSA), The Society of Energy Professionals and media partner, Kerrwil Publications.
 

“We are delighted to recognize Mike Allen as this year’s recipient. As the leader of a critical initiative, OPG’s Darlington Refurbishment, he understands and demonstrates how important people are to the outcome of a successful project,” said Jim Kellett, Board Chair, EHRC. “As an inspirational leader, Mike personifies many of our key objectives for this award such as passion, employee development, communications with staff, and motivation.”

Additional 2017 award recipients include:

  • Sara Rasouli, Ontario Power Generation – Emerging Leader of the Year Award
  • Cambrian College, Innovation in HR Practices Educational/Training Institution Award
  • Alberta Electric Systems Operator, Innovation in HR Practices Employer Award
  • Ontario Power Generation, Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award

The event also featured a special presentation of preliminary findings from EHRC’s 2017 – 2022 Labour Market Information (LMI) Studyfor the Canadian Electricity industry, followed by a panel discussion from employers, education and labour representatives. This body of research aims to provide practical insights to guide the industry’s human resources management and planning, including the most up to date issues and statistics that impact the sector, along with subsequent implications on the skilled labour supply-demand gap. Employers, contractors and educators can still participate in the study by completing EHRC’s LMI survey by March 31, 2018. Further details on how to participate can be found here

Highlights from EHRC’s preliminary LMI findings and panel discussion:

  • Retirement rate in Electricity sector is higher than in others, along with the percentage of workforce that is over 45 years of age. This will lead to new challenges to replace the skillset of these older workers.
  • With the emerging role of innovation and technology in the sector, an accelerated demand for cleaner energy, renewables and micro-generation, along with heightened cyber-security concerns, we are seeing a shift in skills’ requirements of the electricity workforce. Organizations will need to find innovative ways to engage, train and upskill for these emerging technologies, while integrating the newly-skilled workforce with existing workers and systems.
  • New entrants are increasingly being called up on to possess work aptitude, design thinking and transferable “soft” skills that enable them to leverage technical or “hard’ skills to their fullest potential in the workplace.
  • There is a clear need to develop effective outreach strategies to attract new entrants to the sector in particular the younger generation – both to increase awareness of the potential opportunities that innovation brings to the sector and mitigate competition with other industries who will also face increasing supply challenges.

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • Siemens to Establish Global AI Manufacturing Technologies R&D Center for Battery & EV Production in Canada

    Siemens to Establish Global AI Manufacturing Technologies R&D Center for Battery & EV Production in Canada

    May 26, 2025 Siemens will invest CAD $150 million over five years to establish a Global AI Manufacturing Technologies Research and Development (R&D) Center for Battery Production in Canada. The new R&D center, located initially at Siemens Canada’s head office in Oakville, as well as in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, will focus on developing cutting-edge AI manufacturing technologies with an initial emphasis… Read More…

  • Honda Postponing Ontario EV Supply Chain Investment by Two Years

    Honda Postponing Ontario EV Supply Chain Investment by Two Years

    May 26, 2025 Honda is postponing its plan to invest in a comprehensive EV supply chain in Ontario. The CBC reported that the investment is being push back by two years. “Due to the recent slowdown of the EV market, Honda Motor has announced an approximate two-year postponement of the comprehensive value chain investment project in Canada…. Read More…

  • Serge Leblanc Named Sonepar Canada Interim President

    Serge Leblanc Named Sonepar Canada Interim President

    May 26, 2025 George McClean, former President of Sonepar Canada, has decided to leave Sonepar for an opportunity outside of the electrical industry. Serge Leblanc, current President of Lumen Canada, has been appointed interim President of Sonepar Canada. Leblanc will manage both responsibilities until a successor is named.  Leblanc joined Lumen in 1997 and has… Read More…

  • Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen Head to Queens Park to Advocate for Safer, More Inclusive Job Sites

    Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen Head to Queens Park to Advocate for Safer, More Inclusive Job Sites

    May 26, 2025 On Monday, May 26, the Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen (OBCT), will host its first-ever Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park. Tradeswomen from across the province will gather to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament, including Minister of Labour David Piccini, to advocate for progress in the skilled trades for tradeswomen. OBCT’s top priorities include:… Read More…