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Click here to view the French version. Cliquez ici pour la version française.
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Greetings!
I am delighted to wish you a sincere and warm welcome to the second regular issue of the Electricity Sector Council's newsletter, Bright Futures in Canada.
This edition will feature breaking industry news and important updates on the council's activities including the 2008 Labour Market Information Report release as well as the information on the 2009 Bright Futures in Canada Conference sponsorship. New to this edition is a profile dedicated to the ESC's volunteers. To kick-start this new newsletter component, we are featuring the Chair of the Labour Market Information Steering Committee who works for Manitoba Hydro... continue reading to find out who we've decided to feature! In honour of the Electricity Sector Council's 3rd birthday, the Council held an Open House on October 10, as  well to showcase our new offices. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tom Goldie, made a presentation to those who came to celebrate this occasion with us. Excellent food and great conversation was enjoyed by everyone!
We are grateful for your continuing support and interest in our activities and this newsletter. If you have any suggestions or would like to hear more, we welcome your feedback.
As that festive time of year is fast approaching, the Electricity Sector Council wishes you all a healthy and happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Debra Carey
Chair, Communications Committee | |
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| Feature Projects
2008 Labour Market Information (LMI) Report Released
The 2008 LMI report "Powering Up the Future" was released on November 25. The results of the report reveal a critical shortage of engineers and trades people that will have a  significant effect on the industry's support of electrical energy in Canada. The report acknowledges that the aging workforce in the electricity industry is beginning to retire at a steady pace and the younger generation's interest in the field is declining as each year goes by. Immediate action must be undertaken to address these shortages and that's just what the Electricity Sector Council is putting all its energy in. The condensed and full report can be read by clicking here.
Sponsorship still available for the ESC's 2009 Bright Futures in Canada Conference
The ESC's 2009 Bright Futures in Canada conference entitled "Building Talent for a Powerful Tomorrow" will be here before we know it. Scheduled for May 19-21 of next year, the conference will be attended by industry employers, government officials, labour organizations, media and a large number of Canadian apprentices and educators. The conference's official website will be up and running this coming January so be sure to keep and eye out for it. Partnership opportunities are still available. Act now if you wish to be part of an exclusive list of companies who have already signed up. For the full list of partnership opportunities click here. New Communities of Practice Web Platform Released December 8th!
The ESC Communities of Practice web platform is a tool that will streamline communications with ESC stakeholders through the use of collaboration software. This multi-dimensional tool will enable stakeholders to communicate through a web-based forum which enables the sharing of ideas and documents in a secure and easy to use online environment. We are happy to provide our community members with a new exciting and interactive means of communication.
Occupational Standards Project Update
The National Occupational Standards project is gearing up to deliver the Council's first occupational standards this coming spring. A total of five occupational standards will be available for the positions of: Utilities Project Manager, Electrical Engineering Technician and Technologist, Power Protection and Control Technician and Technologist, System Operator and Wind Turbine Technician.
To date, 200 industry representatives have provided input into the development process. Designed to provide clarity around key occupations in the electricity and renewable industry, the occupational standards will also support operational human resource strategies and help to better inform training and certification for the positions.
Powerline Technician Project
ESC's Powerline Technician Project, which started in October 2007, is also gearing up for its final deliverables due out this spring. The Powerline technician project is undertaking a situational analysis of the trade in Canada,  with the end goal of assisting industry stakeholders in addressing key HR challenges around recruitment, retention and development of one of the most critical operational roles within the electricity business.
Following the research and development of an interim draft report, we are now working to conduct a more in-depth analysis of the training requirements across provinces and conducting a national scoping exercise to identify emerging practices around recruitment and retention with the trade. The final report for this work is scheduled for completion in early spring.
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Industry News
Educationl Website developed by the Canadian Nuclear Association  The Canadian Nuclear Association has launched an educational nuclear website aimed at students in grades 9 to12. The Nuclear Science Technology High School website is the result of many years of gathering knowledge from nuclear scientists, engineers and science educators, and focuses on eight key areas, some of which relate to history and safety for example. In addition to lesson plans and question and answer sheets, there is also hands-on approaches such as classroom activities and project descriptions offered on the site, which makes for an excellent teachers' resource. The website is now available in English at http://www.cna.ca/curriculum/english/index.asp
New Apprenticeship Video from the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF)
The CAF has posted a video on their website that showcases employers from across Canada telling us how apprenticeship has helped boost productivity in their organizations. The video focuses on construction, manufacturing, service and transportation industries and explains how employers can benefit from apprenticeship. Click here to view the video.
If you have any industry news you would like to see here, please contact us at (613) 235-5540, or email us at info@brightfutures.ca. |
Volunteer Profile
In each edition of our newsletter, we would like to feature profiles of our volunteers so that we can thank them for the tremendous support they are giving to the Council.
Damon Rondeau
Chair, Labour Market Information Steering Committee
 Motivation for Volunteering:
Professional Interest - Human Resource Planner with Manitoba Hydro for 17 years. We're ready - We have studied our own workforce and market very carefully - we need strategic information on the industry as a whole and the national marketplace. We need it - Manitoba Hydro faces the same general labour challenges as the national industry, but our market is relatively small, relatively isolated, and relatively recruitment-challenged to begin with.
Background - Damon Rondeau started working with Manitoba Hydro in 1991 where he started a human resources planning practice. Mr. Rondeau has been focusing on that since then, although he has taken a few detours along the way, working in process improvement and strategic planning in the generation business unit of Manitoba Hydro. For the first 10 years, HR planning at Manitoba Hydro focused mostly on that internal side but in recent years their focus has turned more and more to the external environment and Mr. Rondeau is spending more time working on basic demography and the changing dynamics of Manitoba's labour markets.
Personal life - When it comes to his personal life, Damon enjoys performing with not only one, but two bands. Formed in 2003, Starlight Jazz is a classic jazz and show tunes group that has been busy entertaining at many different functions in the Winnipeg region.
After his kids and family, music is what Damon lives for. "It's so satisfying to be involved with something creative, something challenging, and something that people enjoy," he says, "It's a life-long pursuit, and I'm really pleased to be a part of Winnipeg's vital and distinctive musical community. I'm also really lucky to have an employer who can live with me pursuing a multi-faceted life!" |
| Outreach and Partnership
The ESC is responsible for promoting awareness of current and future career and employment opportunities in the electricity industry; and forming partnerships that will better enable the sector to meet its human resource needs. This includes participating in industry events.
The Council's Executive Director made the following presentations at industry events over the months of October and November:
October 15, 2008 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) HR conference in St. John's, Newfoundland.
November 13, 2008 - Canadian Utilities Compensation Meeting in Calgary, Alberta.
November 19, 2008 - Association of Power Producers of Ontario (APPRO) in Toronto, Ontario. | |
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Succession Planning Tool to
launch in December 2008
The Succession Planning project identifies best HR practices in Canada and around the world, and has developed a number of sector-specific online tools to help organizations prepare for the radical demographic shift in the electricity workforce. These tools are set to be released in mid-December 2008 and we are confident that they will become a valuable resource for HR planners across the country. |
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Upcoming Events
Watch for these exciting Electricity Sector Council events happening soon:
May 19-21, 2009 - Bright Futures in Canada Conference "Building Talent for a Powerful Tomorrow", Toronto, ON - Website coming soon!
January 15, 2009 - Connectivity - Atlantic Regional Consultation, Halifax, NS
January 27, 2009 - Connectivity - Prairie Regional Consultation, Regina, SK |
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In Our Next Issue
NEWS...Bright Futures B.C. taking root in British Columbia high schools. The Bright Futures B.C. website will be launched in January, 2009.
PLUS... Profile on another ESC volunteer.
AND... An update on the Electricity First Work project and how it has impacted the participants in a beneficial way.
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| Contact Us |
| Address: 130 Slater Street, Suite 600
Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2
Phone: (613) 235-5540
Fax: (613) 235-6922
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