The Canadian Electricity Workforce– Supply and Demand Labour Information is Critical to Evidence-Informed Business, Operations and Workforce Planning

May 30, 2023

Add Your Voice to EHRC’s Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) Study

By Michelle Branigan, CEO, Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC)

As our industry continues its transformative shift – technologies are changing Canada’s electricity system while our legacy systems must continue to perform, we are seeing new talent requirements as energy policies adapt to industry-altering innovation (marine solar, EV integration, battery storage etc.).

And the contradiction is sharpening. Our national labour market is the most challenging we have seen in decades, yet to meet “Net Zero by 2050” Canada will need to produce two to three times the electricity it currently generates.

As we work to exceed our emissions reduction targets and prepare the country to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, there will be a tremendous impact on the labour market for Canada’s electricity sector. All of these changes will require workers with different skill sets and new knowledge. This transformation will therefore impact not only the size of the electricity sector’s workforce, but also its composition and its infrastructure.

The reality faced by our industry is that training, hiring, and retaining a supply of skilled, agile and adaptable workers is critical to ensuring Canada’s long-term electricity stability and achieving decarbonization goals.

Call for the Electricity Sector to Complete EHRC’s Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) Online Survey [Deadline: June 30]

EHRC is the long-standing industry leader in labour market data and insights – we provide evidence-based data that is used as a basis for industry action in respect to labour market information and related workforce planning issues. The LMI data allows EHRC to work with its members to build sector-specific solutions to current and emerging human resources industry challenges.

EHRC’s next Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) online survey is now “live” – we are currently in the field, and electricity sector employers and post-secondary educators are urged to complete this survey before the June 30th deadline.

Industry requires accurate labour supply and demand information to guide business, operations and talent planning decisions. LMI 2023-2028 will inform workforce planning by organizations, enabling leaders and HR managers to strengthen evidence-informed decisions and business case planning, as well as benchmark their performance at the national level.

The ability to forecast labour supply and demand will be integral to industry, labour and policy-maker planning initiatives, as well as curriculum development at post-secondary institutions and for career mapping by job seekers looking to enter the sector.

Participation by employers and educators is key to understanding and shaping the current and future state of our sector’s workforce. By completing this survey, your organization’s labour market experience will enable more accurate HR resource assessment and planning, adding to the body of research EHRC has been building since 2005.

Please note that there are two surveys, one for employers and the other for educators, as follows:

Click here: Employer LMI Survey | Education Institute LMI Survey [Deadline: June 30]. All responses are confidential. We will be forwarding all respondents an advance copy of the final report as a thank you for their input.

This is an excellent opportunity for all of industry to ensure their input is included, and their voice is heard. It is critical that we obtain input from as many stakeholders as possible to ensure accurate data and representation by everyone in our sector. Strong participation will result in a “for industry by industry” forecast that reflects the national picture, as well as regional results.

How are survey findings and insights used? Key findings will generate valued data inputs and insights for C-suite leaders and HR managers alike. EHRC’s next LMI study will reveal labour retention stats, vacancies, retirement trends, recruitment challenges, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) metrics, growth projections by occupation and economic impacts to 2028.

It will also provide real-time labour market data and increase our industry’s ability to source, recruit, onboard, and retain skilled workers to meet labour demands. This study will focus on traditional electricity generation, distribution and transmission occupations, as well as renewables and new and emerging roles nationwide as our industry continues to expand and innovate to meet Canada’s climate change goals.

Release Date for EHRC’s next Labour Market Intelligence Study – Fall, 2023

In addition to the updated LMI data, EHRC will develop a labour market forecasting tool that will inform and improve the electricity and renewable energy sector’s capability in workforce planning as we enter a new period of economic recovery. This labour market information will build capacity in identifying emerging workforce needs, opportunities, and requirements across the industry as new priorities in clean growth and electrification change the human resources landscape.

This project has been funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.

Please send email inquiries about EHRC’s LMI survey to lmi@ehrc.ca.

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