New Project to Better Equip Alberta’s Electricity Workforce for Change

June 11, 2020

Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) is partnering with the Government of Alberta to launch a new project to address significant workforce changes in Alberta’s electricity workforce. EHRC will work with Alberta stakeholders to develop succession planning and knowledge transfer tools for employers in the electricity sector. With an aging workforce and an accelerated pace of change in Alberta—including the need to integrate changing technologies in a rapidly evolving industry, there will be an immense impact on both current and future workforce requirements. Findings from EHRC’s Workforce Transitions report show that more than 3,000 of Alberta’s electricity workers could be affected by the changing structure of the sector, and as older workers retire the sector loses years of specialized knowledge, expertise, and training that cannot easily be replaced.

This project, funded by the Government of Alberta’s Labour Market Partnerships program and supported by Alberta’s electricity sector stakeholders, will facilitate a smooth transition for employers and employees during this period of change. EHRC will work with stakeholders to develop frameworks for best practice as new knowledge and skills for the safe and efficient operation of quickly changing technologies and processes must be transmitted to current and future employees in order to keep the sector resilient.

“Based on our research, we know that knowledge transfer plans are more commonly in place for senior managers and supervisors than for other employees,” said Michelle Branigan, CEO of EHRC. “We’d like to see this practice broaden in order to ensure a steady supply of labour to key occupations in the industry.”

EHRC will develop online tools to facilitate and support industry succession planning processes and will support employers in advancing employees already in the sector. This will help to secure a safety-focused, highly skilled, sustainable, and competitive workforce for the future. The final outcomes will include strategies that are flexible enough to meet the needs of each employer and employee, as well as shifting dynamics within the workplace.

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