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Greetings!
First and foremost, I would like to introduce myself as the newest Board member of the Electricity Sector Council. I am excited to be a part of this hard-working organization and ready to tackle the industry human resources issues the Council stands for.
The past year has been the most successful for the Council. We launched our first Labour  Market Information Study and Succession Planning Report in addition to receiving approval for the Aboriginal project. Some of the Council's achievements are highlighted in this issue of our newsletter. Evidently, we would not have been able to achieve our many successes without all of our volunteers who supported us by taking part in our initiatives.
In addition to project updates and industry news, you will find information on how to be part of the upcoming ESC Conference "Building Talent for a Powerful Tomorrow"... and don't forget to check out which ESC volunteer we've decided to feature in this newsletter!
Hoping that the New Year is going well for everyone,
Sincerely,
Zoltan Bodas
Board Member, ESC
Manager, T&D Materials & Engineering, SaskPower
About SaskPower
As the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, SaskPower serves more than 451,000 customers and manages $4.5 billion in assets. We have almost 2,500 permanent full-time employees located in 71 communities. Our company operates three coal-fired power stations, seven hydroelectric stations, four natural gas stations and two wind facilities with an aggregate generating capacity of 3,214 megawatts (MW). For more information, please visit their website www.saskpower.com Congratulations to SaskPower for being one of the winners of the Canada's Best Diversity Employers award. |
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Feature Projects
Bright Futures in Canada Conference - Registration now open!
May 2009 is almost here and that means the ESC Bright Futures in Canada Conference is fast approaching! The conference website is now up and running where you can find important conference information such as registration, hotel accommodations and speaker info. Great partnership opportunities are still available: visit our website at www.brightfutures.ca to view current opportunities and to partner with us on this exciting initiative.
The two day event will feature notable speakers, fundamental concurrent sessions, as well as a chance to network with your peers. Don't miss a chance to gain and share knowledge with Canada's leading electricity sector organizations and companies.
Sneak peek on some of our keynote speakers:
-The Honourable Jean Augustine, Commissioner, Office of the Fairness Commissioner
-Laura Formusa, President & CEO, Hydro One Inc.
-Phil Fontaine, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations - invited
Register now at the early bird rate available until April 19, 2009.
Labour Market Information Study Release
The long-awaited release of the 2008 Labour Market Information  Study "Powering up the Future" has had remarkably positive feedback and has garnered media and industry attention across the country. The launch initiated several media interviews and speaking opportunities with our Executive Director & CEO, Catherine Cottingham, and Board members. The regional reports of our study are now being completed and will be available this month on our Labour Market Information website at
http://www.brightfutures.ca/lmi/en/index.html.
Succession Planning Final Report Launched
In December of 2008, the Council launched the Succession Planning final report entitled "Succession Planning Best Practices and Tools for the Canadian Electricity and Renewable Energy Sector".
The report lists some of the workforce and succession planning  tools that are designed to help the human resource planners overcome the challenges that are outlined in the research findings. The Coaching/Mentoring Toolkit will be available in March 2009; these tools will help organizations and employees develop their coaching skills in the workplace.
Please continue to check our website for up-to-the-minute information. A listing and description of the tools can be viewed by visiting the Succession Planning Tools page by clicking here.
If you are interested in receiving any of the tools, please send us an email at info@brightfutures.ca with your organization type and contact information.
Aboriginal Initiatives Project
The Council is proud to announce that we've added a new project to our workload. Geared towards increasing the participation of  Aboriginal peoples in the electricity workforce, the Aboriginal Initiatives Project will research and communicate existing access barriers, develop and conduct strategies to address them and identify possible partnerships and communication pathways between Aboriginals and industry. For more information on the Aboriginal Initiatives Project, please click here.
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
As part of the NOS project, the ESC has developed draft Skills Profiles for two Solar occupations and an Occupational Standard for GeoExchange. These profiles and standards will outline the skills and competencies that are required to perform a specific job and will help the renewable energy industry to develop effective human resource strategies and to ensure recognition of skills. The three occupations within the renewable energy sector include:
- Photovoltaic Solar Equipment Installer
- Solar Thermal Installer
- GeoExchange/Thermal Systems and Equipment Installer
Before the new standards are released, we are validating with those who bring knowledge and experience in the specified occupations. To help us in this process, please click here to complete a short on-line survey which is open until March 24, 2009.
Please feel free to forward the link to the survey to your colleagues in the industry who would be suitable and interested in participating.
Other ongoing projects:
Power Line Technician
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Industry News
Bruce Power releases Saskatchewan feasibility study
Last November, Bruce Power released a feasibility study on the potential of building a new nuclear facility in a region spanning from Lloydminster, including the Battlefords and Prince Albert. This initiative is estimated to create 2,000 jobs during construction of the plant and 1,000 permanent jobs over 60 years of operation. According to the study, nuclear energy could contribute 1,000 megawatts of electricity to Saskatchewan's generation mix by 2020. "Now that a region has been identified, Bruce Power will also consider suitable parcels of land and begin meeting with community and aboriginal leaders where appropriate." To read the press release, please click here.
ESC Board Member Recognized at CanSIA Conference
At last year's Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA)'s annual conference, ESC Board Member, Al Clark, was recognized as Solar Public Servant of the Year. Al is the Senior Advisor and Manager, EcoEnergy for Renewable Heat at Natural Resources Canada.
Richard Thorne, Al Clark, Victoria Hollick - photo
The honor is awarded to the utility or government employee who during the year has worked to bring down barriers to solar energy, allowing it to be used more broadly in Canada. We would like to congratulate Al on this admirable achievement. The press release can be found on CanSIA's website by clicking here.
BC Renewable Energy Project in the Works
The Government of Canada, in partnership with GE Energy Financial Services and Plutonic Power Corporation, is investing in a major hydroelectric project in BC that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs. With a completion date of 2010, the 196-megawatt East Toba River and Montrose Creek Hydroelectric Project will generate enough clean electricity to meet the annual electricity needs of about 75,000 homes. The project will receive up to $72.8 million in funding under the Government of Canada's ecoENERGY for Renewable Power Program and is expected to create 200 jobs over a three-and-a-half year span. Read the news release here.
Workplace safety at Ontario Power Generation (OPG)
OPG's workplace safety goal is zero injuries. In 2008, many of our sites achieved significant safety milestones consisting of many hours, or years, without a lost-time injury. OPG's entire Hydro business of over 1,000 employees achieved more than three years without a lost-time injury by the end of the year. Click here to view OPG's 2008 Performance Report. If you have any industry news you'd like to see here, please contact us at (613) 235-5540, or email us at info@brightfutures.ca. |
| Volunteer Profile
Barb Keenan
Chair, Succession Planning Steering Committee
Vice President, Nuclear Human Resources & Employee Safety, Ontario Power Generation
Motivation for Volunteering:
It is very important, as an industry, for business, labour unions and academics to work together to support the electricity sector in order to help make the pie bigger for all of us to have a healthy  market of talented labour and continue to be successful.
Background - Barb rejoined Ontario Power Generation in May 2006 as the V.P. Corporate H.R. and in October 2007 moved into her current role as Vice President, Nuclear Human Resources & Employee Safety. Prior to that, she worked for Capgemini - a Global Consulting & Outsourcing Service Provider as the V.P. H.R. for Canada, and held various HR roles in Ontario Hydro and Canada Trust. She graduated from the University of Toronto with Honours, most recently became a Certified Compensation and Human Resources Board Director and is actively involved in her community.
Personal life - As a full-time professional and the mother of two kids, Barb leads a busy lifestyle which includes keeping active in a fun way. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to her; she's a fitness instructor and supports her children in their extracurricular and sporting activities.
She enjoys spending time with family and friends at their cottage on Georgian Bay. |
Outreach and Partnerships
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 since November 2008:
February 25, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Transmission Council Meeting in Toronto, Ontario
February 24, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Distribution Council Meeting in Toronto, Ontario
February 17 & 18, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Human Resources Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario
February 9 & 10, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Training Committee Meeting in Toronto, Ontario
January 28, 2009 - Ontario Energy Network (OEN) in Toronto, Ontario
December 9, 2008 - Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA) Conference in Toronto, Ontario
November 24, 2008 - Industry Relations Committee of Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship in Toronto, Ontario
Upcoming presentations:
May 11, 2009 - Canadian Association of Members of Public Utility Tribunals (CAMPUT) in Saint John, New Brunswick
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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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What's New
Succession Planning Coaching/Mentoring Toolkit will be available this month
Bright Futures BC Project Launches on March 2009 |
Upcoming Events
2009 Bright Futures in Canada Conference
May 19-21, 2009
Toronto, Ontario
Register now by clicking here!
Cambrian College
Powerline Technician Skills CompetitionApril 25, 2009 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more info, please contact the Powerline Technician Program at (705) 566-8101, ext. 7704 or email karen.bass@
cambriancollege.ca.
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In Our Next Issue
NEWS... Recap of the Bright Futures in Canada Conference
PLUS... Videos of our success stories from the Career Focus Initiative Project
AND... New feature volunteer
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