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Click here to view the French version. Cliquez ici pour la version française.
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Issue # 9 June 2010
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Greetings!
As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, the Council is only getting busier with its current roster of project undertakings. The change of seasons also brought about transition within the organization with the retirement of Executive Director and CEO, Catherine Cottingham. Her dedication to the industry's workforce issues has paved the way for the future success of the ESC, and we wish her well in her future endeavours.
In this edition of the newsletter, we have included information on the upcoming Aboriginal Bright Futures youth camps scheduled for Quebec and British Columbia, as well as the a link to the best practices and recommendations report resulting from the Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue Forum which is now available on our website.
In other ESC news, the 2011 Bright Futures in Canada Conference will be taking place at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre in May of next year, and an excellent Partnership Opportunities package is now available. The Council is eager to welcome all industry stakeholders and we hope that you will be able to join your peers from across Canada in working towards a sustainable future for the sector's workforce.
Be sure to read through the newsletter to learn more about the Council's current initiatives and important industry news that might affect your business.
The ESC wishes you all a happy and healthy summer!
Michelle Branigan
Interim Executive Director
Electricity Sector Council
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Feature Projects
Aboriginal Youth Camp Dates Announced for this Summer
The Council is happy to report that following the success of last summer's pilot Aboriginal Bright Futures youth camp, two more camps have been scheduled for July in Quebec and British Columbia.
The camps will allow girls and boys aged 10 to 13 to learn about electricity and renewable energy by taking part in fun and educational activities.
The week long camps will be delivered by Elephant Thoughts, a national charity dedicated to promoting the availability of quality education for children all over the world, and will bring attention to the many great career opportunities for Aboriginal youth in the electricity and renewable energy industry and the importance of taking math and sciences in school.
Thank you to all our sponsors who made this camp possible. For the list of sponsors and further information about the camps, please click on the links below:
Partner with the ESC for the 2011 Bright Futures in Canada Conference
The Council is pleased to announce that the Bright Futures in Canada Conference entitled "Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Workforce" is scheduled to be held in Toronto, Ontario on May 24-26, 2011 at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre Hotel. The 2009 conference was very successful and proved to be a great networking and learning opportunity for industry and other stakeholders who were in attendance, and the Council promises to deliver an even bigger and better conference next year!
As preparations are under way to secure dynamic speakers and to prepare a high-calibre program, the ESC would like to invite you to be a partner in this important industry event. Take advantage of the great opportunities by clicking here. By partnering with the ESC on this national industry conference, organizations will be investing in an important event designed to provide innovative solutions to address the human resources challenges facing the Canada's electricity and renewable industry.
Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue Forum Final Report Now Available
In February, the ESC and Natural Resources Canada hosted the Canada- U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue forum in Toronto, Ontario. Entitled "Building the Power Workforce of Tomorrow", the bi-lateral event brought together people from across North America to examine human resources challenges that undermine the strength and sustainability of the electricity labour force on both sides of the border.
The forum resulted in the "Clean Energy. Clear Opportunity" report on the human resources best practices and recommendations raised by industry at the forum. To view the report, please click here.
For more information on the forum, please visit the project page on our website.
For information on other ESC's projects visit our website at www.brightfutures.ca.
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Industry News
Industry Partners Recognized as 2010 Top 45 Diversity-Focused Employers
Congratulations to the following ESC partners in recognition of their contribution to making their workplace diversity-friendly:
Bruce Power - Increased the number of visible minorities in professional roles within the company by recruiting from a more diverse talent pool.
Cameco Corp. - Revised job postings to incorporate inclusive language and encourage job candidates from under-represented groups to apply.
SaskPower Corp. - Revised its training materials to include a diversity-in-the-workplace component for supervisors.
TransCanada Corp. - Maintains a women's networking group that provides career development and mentoring for female employees at all levels.
Ontario's New HST and the Electricity and Renewable Energy Industry
Following in the steps of many other provinces, the Government of Ontario has recently implemented the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). This will not only affect consumers, but also all businesses, large and small, in all industries. Both the governments of Ontario and Canada have useful information and tips on their websites pertaining to the HST and the transition process for your business.
Government of Ontario
Tax Memo - see section on what the electricity sector should do before the new HST system is introduced
Government of Ontario Implements a Workplace Harassment Policy
On June 15, the Ontario Ministry of Labour will start to enforce Bill 168 - The Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace). By this date, Ontario employers will be required to have implemented a Workplace Harassment Policy and another Policy to address workplace violence. Bill 168 also requires a risk assessment to be carried out in every workplace, to determine if workplace violence is an ongoing concern. Every employer will have to develop a program to implement the Workplace Harassment Policy and if the Risk Assessment indicates a potential for workplace violence, a program will have to be developed to implement the Workplace Violence Policy. To learn more, please click here.
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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John Sowagi
Chair, ESC Training and Learning Development Steering Committee &
Manager, Leadership Training, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Inc.
Motivation for Volunteering - One of the main reasons John volunteers is the fact that he enjoys working with others in a team environment and believes that it's important to play an active role in the industry. He likes that he can share his experiences with others and help in ensuring that the utility industry is guaranteed success for future generations.
Background - A graduate of both St. Francis Xavier University Adult Education Program and the University of Toronto - Rotman Advanced Human Resources Program, John joined OPG 30 years ago. Starting in the Instrumentation and Controls Section of the Resident Engineering Department, he has been with the organization ever since and currently holds the title of Manager of Leadership and Management Training. In this role, he has delivered extensive training including: Train the Trainer programs, Executive Training Programs, Supervisory Training, and Personal Development Training.
Personal life - When not in the office, John enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. He also takes pleasure in traveling, martial arts (Shotokan Karate) and is learning to speak Spanish! His most interesting hobby, though, is flying single engine airplanes as John is a private licensed pilot.
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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.
T
he Council's representatives made the following presentations at industry events over the months of March to the beginning of June:
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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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In Our Next Issue
NEWS... New Career Focus Initiative Information
PLUS... Details on the Pre-Trades program being developed as part of the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative
AND... New feature volunteer |
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