Building powerful human resource strategies for utilities

BY MICHELLE BRANIGAN, Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC)

The electricity and renewable sector is part of what the federal government terms ‘critical infrastructure’ for Canada, a support to all industries on the economic front and the personal life of nearly every Canadian. Moreover, we are one of the world’s largest producers of electricity. In the current climate, the expectations for electricity are enormous. Electricity Human Resource Canada’s (EHRC’s) mandate is to work with industry stakeholders—employers, educators, labor, and government—to help the industry create and sustain a highly skilled, safety focused and diverse labor force.

TRANSFORMATION: KEY DRIVERS EHRC’s most recent workforce planning research study “Power in Motion”, found that stakeholders in Canada’s electricity and renewable energy industry face multiple human resources challenges as they plan for the next five years. Some challenges are familiar (for example, retirements and competition with other industries), while others are new.