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Click here to view the French version. Cliquez ici pour la version française.
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Issue # 7 December 2009
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Greetings!
Since the Council's debut in 2005, Hydro Ottawa has worked with the organization on ensuring that our industry develops and retains a qualified and highly trained workforce of the future. It gives me great pleasure to speak on how their work is helping to continually assess current trends and solve some of our industry's workforce issues.
Hydro Ottawa not only provides time and resources to the Electricity Sector Council in terms of my position on the Board of Directors and event sponsorship, but we also benefit from their initiatives in return. Through the Career Focus Initiative, which funds one-third of a worker's salary to a maximum of $10,000, we were able to receive some financial support on hiring a new graduate engineer.
Motivated by the Council's Labour Market Information study on the industry's labour supply and demand, Hydro Ottawa re-implemented our apprenticeship program. The program has been a great success and a positive experience for all, and an injection of energy into our corporate culture. The study was a key piece in justifying why the program had to be restarted. Since we have directly witnessed the benefits of using the results of the earlier studies, we strongly believe that it is crucial for our industry to continue having the most up-to-date workforce planning data to be able to make effective human resources decisions. The plans for the 2011 study are already underway, and more information on how your organization can participate is included in this issue of the newsletter.
As you scroll down the newsletter, you'll learn more about the results of the newly released Human Resources National Strategy for the Electricity and Renewable Energy Sector and, what a great success our National Aboriginal Symposium was. Don't forget to check out our feature volunteer and industry news!
In closing, as one of the founding board members, I've witnessed the growth of the organization from day one and can honestly say that the ESC is positively impacting the electricity and renewable energy industry. Its dedication in securing a well-trained electricity workforce of the future can be seen in every project they undertake.
On behalf of the ESC, I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. Please note that the ESC office will be closing at 12:00 p.m. on December 23rd, and will re-open on January 4th.
Sincerely,
Norm Fraser Board of Directors and Executive Committee Member, ESC Chief Operating Officer, Hydro Ottawa Hydro Ottawa Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc., is the third largest municipal electricity distribution company in the province. Hydro Ottawa is responsible for the safe, reliable delivery of electricity to more than 291,000 residential and business customers in the City of Ottawa and the village of Casselman.
www.hydroottawa.com |
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| Feature Projects
Great Opportunity to Participate in the 2011 Labour Market Information Study - Join Early to Receive 10% Discount
The Council is pleased to invite all our industry stakeholders to participate and become a partner in the 2011 Labour Market Information Program, a unique effort to provide the most current and comprehensive sector specific workforce planning information for our industry.
This Program will help your organization build a better understanding of labour supply and demand on an ongoing basis in order to make informed human resource decisions. It will also contribute, in a meaningful way, to an important initiative that will add to the long-term stability of Canada's electricity and renewable energy supply.
Click here to learn more about the 2011 Labour Market Information Program and how it can add value to your organization.
National Aboriginal Symposium Builds Partnerships The ESC's National Aboriginal Symposium took place on November 26 & 27, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, and was a great success. The event attracted 52 delegates from industry, AHRDAs, Aboriginal organizations, government, unions and educational institutions. Participants had the opportunity to hear from knowledgeable  speakers. Keynote speaker Mervin Dewasha, Chief Executive Officer of Neegan Burnside (left in picture with ESC CEO and Executive Director Catherine Cottingham), spoke about career development for Aboriginal youth. The second keynote speaker, Kelly Lendsay, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Human Resource Council, discussed the responsibility and subsequent challenges of creating a workplace culture of Aboriginal inclusion and how to make it work. The symposium was an integral part of the ESC's Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiatives (AWPI) and received very positive feedback from those who attended. Presentations and photos from the symposium will soon be available on our Communities of Practice website at www.brightfuturescommunities.ca. If you are not yet a member, send us an email at info@brightfutures.ca, and we will open an account for you. Thank you to our partners, Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power and Power Workers' Union, that made this event possible. Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for the next electricity-themed Aboriginal camp? The Council will be holding a number of youth camps in 2010. For details on sponsorship opportunities click here.
Linking Canada: Electricity Sector Council Releases National Human Resources Strategy
In 2007, the Electricity Sector Council undertook the Building Connectivity Project which involved a three year comprehensive consultation process with provincial/regional and federal key stakeholders to identify and develop tactics to address industry's key human resources challenges. Six recommendations for the Human Resources Strategy for the Electricity and Renewable Energy Sector emerged from this Pan-Canadian consultation which demonstrates that industry stakeholders are well aware of the issues and what solutions are needed in order to ensure that an adequate human resource supply is available for the future of Canada's energy system.
Click here to discover which key strategies were recommended by your industry peers.
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| Industry News
Industry Partners Amongst Canada's Top 100 Employers
 Congratulations to our industry partners who were selected as some of Canada's 100 Top Employers for 2010. The annual competition was created to recognize Canadian companies and organizations that lead their industries in attracting and retaining employees.
BC Hydro
Cameco Corporation
Enbridge Inc.
NB Power Holding Corporation
Ontario Power Generation Inc.
SaskEnergy Incorporated
Toronto Hydro Corporation
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.
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Bob Menard
Chair, Knowledge Management and Transfer Steering Committee
Executive Managing Director, Power Workers' Union Training Inc. (PWUTI)
Motivation for Volunteering - For Bob, the best way of managing significant change is to stay current with innovation and the people who support and practice it in their organizations. Working on ESC projects is a great way of making sure that happens since the innovators are regularly the ones who volunteer and bring the brightest, newest ideas to the table.
Background - Bob has worked in the electricity sector for the past 35 years, focusing on labour education, communications, advertising, policy development and government relations. He's been employed with the Power Workers' Union since the early 1980's where he now holds the title of Managing Director for PWU Training Inc. This PWU subsidiary facilitates apprenticeship training and other educational services for electricity workers. Bob recently completed an MBA at Royal Roads University. He was the Vice-Chair of the ESC's Succession Planning Steering Committee.
Personal life - In his time off, Bob enjoys fishing, going to his cottage, wood-working and keeping fit by exercising.
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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 over the months of September through November:
September 1, 2009 - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) All Canada Progress Meeting, Charlottetown, Prince-Edward-Island
September 24, 2009 - Participated in an online Webinar "Training the Next Renewable Energy Generation", Ottawa, Ontario
October 21, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Training Network Meeting, Calgary, Alberta
October 23, 2009 - Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) HR Committee Meeting, Fredericton, New Brunswick
November 3, 2009 - Public Policy Forum Symposium on Green Jobs, Ottawa, Ontario
November 18, 2009 - Association of Power Producers of Ontario (APPrO) Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario |
| Contact Us
Address: 130 Slater Street, Suite 600
Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2
Phone: (613) 235-5540
Fax: (613) 235-6922
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Upcoming Events
Canada-US Forum "Building the Power Workforce of Tomorrow"
February 17 & 18, 2010, Toronto, Ontario (By invitation only)
Aboriginal youth camps 2010
Information coming soon
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In Our Next Issue
NEWS... Knowledge Management and Transfer Project
PLUS... Updated information on the Aboriginal Workforce Participation
Initiatives
AND... New feature volunteer | |
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