EHRC Workforce in Motion Report: 20,500 New Workers Needed Before 2022

EHRC

Apr 14, 2019

In a recent interview with the The National Post, Electricity Human Resources Canada CEO Michelle Branigan said the need for workers in Canada’s electricity industry is “extremely critical.”

The industry directly employs almost 107,000 people, but less than 1 in 20 is aged 25 or under, only 1 in 4 is a woman, and just over 1 in 10 is from a visbile minority.

These statistics are from EHRC’s Workforce in Motion, a labour market intelligence research initiative for the years 2017-2022. The research report is a planning and informing tool for a wide range of electricity sector stakeholders and provides critical information to the sector for both short and long term resource planning.

This ongoing study provides industry with information on the most up-to-date issues and statistics affecting the electricity sector and the subsequent implications for the demand-supply gap.

The study is an update to EHRC’s 2011 “Power in Motion,” which provided electricity companies with concrete, actionable steps to help them address HR challenges on a number of different fronts. As part of the current iteration, Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) asked industry stakeholders to complete a survey on the number of employees by occupation within their organizations, and areas of expected employment growth.

Developing a pipeline of skilled labour to ensure an adequate pool of trained and experienced workers for both today and tomorrow is critical to ensuring the long-term stability of Canada’s electricity supply.

Watch for more on the report in an upcoming issue.

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • ECAO Recognition of Safety Achievement Award Recipients

    ECAO Recognition of Safety Achievement Award Recipients

    June 15, 2026 ECAO is proud to recognize the recipients of their Recognition of Safety Achievement Award. This award honours member companies that demonstrate exceptional commitment to workplace safety through outstanding safety performance and a strong culture of prevention. The Recognition of Safety Achievement Award celebrates organizations that maintain injury and illness statistics below the… Read More…

  • ECS Announces the Promotion of Jeff Bartlette to Branch Manager, Winnipeg

    ECS Announces the Promotion of Jeff Bartlette to Branch Manager, Winnipeg

    June 15, 2026 ECS is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeff Bartlette to Branch Manager, Winnipeg. Jeff joined ECS with a mandate to establish the company’s presence in Manitoba. Having successfully balanced both sales and leadership responsibilities, he will now focus fully on developing his team, strengthening branch capabilities, and positioning Winnipeg for continued… Read More…

  • PCL Construction Invests in Canadian Skilled Trades Education and Awareness

    PCL Construction Invests in Canadian Skilled Trades Education and Awareness

    June 15, 2026  PCL Construction has joined That Could Be Me as Lead Sponsor, helping support a new initiative aimed at strengthening awareness of careers in the Canadian Skilled Trades and addressing the country’s ongoing labour shortage. The partnership brings together PCL Construction and Stature Films to create a documentary-style educational video series aiming to inspire more… Read More…

  • Siemens Canada Unveils Expansion and Modernization of Drummondville Manufacturing Facility

    Siemens Canada Unveils Expansion and Modernization of Drummondville Manufacturing Facility

    June 15, 2026 Siemens Canada welcomed customers, partners and government officials to celebrate the completion of a year-long expansion project at its Drummondville manufacturing facility. The project is a major milestone in the company’s ongoing investment in advanced, sustainable, and digitally enabled manufacturing in Québec and across Canada. The expansion includes the opening of a… Read More…