Welcome to the first newsletter of 2014
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As you know the past few months of the year, particularly over the Christmas period, were extremely challenging for our industry. As Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland battled with severe weather, Canadians all over the country were reminded that Mother Nature wields a hefty sword and how much electricity (or the lack thereof) affects our everyday lives.
During this difficult time, our people proved once again that when the weather is at its worst, our people are at their best.
There are many stories from this tumultuous time, from apprentices getting some real on-the-job experience (http://bit.ly/19XpQdS) to CEOs and how they deal with extreme weather events (http://bit.ly/LUHgPO). The biggest story, however, is how we get by with a little help from our friends. Many utilities across the country lent a helping hand by sending crews and equipment to help get the power back up and running.
We at EHRC would like to send a big thank you to everyone who came to assist and to those who gave up their holidays in time of need.
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2013 was a busy year once more for EHRC. Our success would not be possible without your support and we would like to thank you for continuing to work with us, be that through research participation, participation on a steering committee, or as a partner in our events and conferences. The work that we do is for our industry and by our industry -we are just the enablers. Here are just some of the highlights of what we have accomplished together:
- Developed 12 videos highlighting women working in the electricity industry. This has been shared with employers and institutions across the country as we work to increase the representation of women in our sector.
- Launched the first ever major labour market research on the renewable energy sector through our Renewing Futures project and website. This project provides valuable information and resources critical to a changing environmental landscape.
- Brought together over 125 stakeholders from across the country at our 2013 Conference "Empowering the Future Today". Participants shared stories and experiences on a variety of topics including skill shortage solutions, employee engagement practices, succession planning, diversity and inclusion, and many more.
- Developed new occupational standards and essential skills profiles for the roles of Utilities Arborist and Power Cable Technician and released a report, best practice case studies, and online toolkit focusing on refresher training for post-journey Power Line Workers.
- Introduced over 30 youth to careers in the electricity sector though our two Aboriginal youth camps in the summer of 2013, in BC and Ontario.
We look forward to continuing to working with you!
Our membership model provides our stakeholders with a valuable and unique opportunity to invest in Canada's electricity workforce, and be seen as a leader in the development of strategies to collectively meet our workforce planning needs. Click here for more details and to support EHRC.
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2014 Champions of Excellence Awards
In 2013 EHRC launched its inaugural Champions of Excellence Awards, giving national recognition for the achievements of individuals and companies working in the electricity and renewable sector in Canada, and celebrating innovation in workforce development in the industry. Over the coming months we will provide you with a window into the winning practices of our 2013 award winners, showcasing the innovation and leadership that makes our industry great. This month we look at the winners of the Innovation in HR Practices Award - Hydro Ottawa's Retiree and Older Worker Strategy Team
(Ken Lewis, Julia Wagg, Sioux Wolters, Leanne MacCaskill)
Like the majority of utilities, Hydro Ottawa will experience a significant loss of older, experienced workers over the next decade due to retirement eligibility. These workers possess a tremendous amount of experience and corporate memory. This challenge, combined with the existence of a skills shortage and tight labour market throughout the electrical industry, has increased the need to develop multiple responses to the aging workforce.
With specialized skills powering their workforce and the risk of losing depth in their corporate knowledge base as eligible employees increasingly elect their retirements, Hydro Ottawa recognized that engaging their older workers and retirees is key to ensuring operational capacity and continuity.
In response, a specially formed team launched an ambitious project to develop a Retiree and Older Worker Engagement Strategy within 90 days.
Click here to read more about this innovative solution.
Other 2013 Award Winners:
- CEO of the Year Award - Gianna Manes, President and Chief Executive Officer of ENMAX Corporation
- Emerging Leader Award - Brad Dennis OPG
- Innovation in HR Practices - Educational or Training Institution - Alqonquin College
- Workplace Diversity Champion - OPG
Nominations will soon be open for the 2014 Awards to be celebrated in the Fall of 2014, in Toronto. Watch for the announcement!
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Aboriginal Youth Camps for Summer 2014
EHRC is looking for Aboriginal communities and employers to come together. This is part of our long term commitment to Canada's youth and to our Aboriginal people. Involving Aboriginals in our industry is not only the right thing to do but also makes good business sense. Living in close proximity to many of the major electricity projects, Aboriginal people can provide a valuable source of talent to help close workforce gaps.
But it's important to start early. Capturing the youth before they begin to make education decisions that may affect future opportunities is the key to building a competent and engaged workforce. Our Aboriginal youth camps aim to do just that. Having delivered 10 camps and reached over 200 youth we are working to build the electricity workers of tomorrow.
Our camps deliver a variety of hands-on activities and lessons designed to show that learning about Math and Science is more than just text books and that staying in school is important. With introductions to various industry occupations and employers, our camps draw linkages between their interests and the electricity industry.
We are beginning to look at our programming for Summer 2014. If you are interested in sponsoring a camp and/or know of a community that might benefit this year please contact Kevin Joseph - joseph@electricityhr.ca
For more details and pictures from our previous camps click here.
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EHRC Projects and Events at a Glance
Bridging the Gap - Have you seen our women in electricity video series yet? Visit www.electricityhr.ca/bridgingthegap to check them out. Stay tuned for more resources to help with the recruitment and retention of female workers to the industry.
National Occupational Standard for Industry Trainers - Look out for our upcoming occupational standard for trainers. With an accompanying essential skills profile and user guides, this project will help make sure that your organization has the people in place to keep your workforce trained.
Renewing Futures - Labour market information on the renewable energy sector is now available to industry stakeholders. Visit www.renewingfutures.ca to get your access.
2014 Champions of Excellence Awards- Watch for opening of submissions in the Spring 2014.
Centre for Urban Energy at Ryerson Open House - EHRC is looking for employers who may be interested in meeting electrical engineering graduates from Ryerson University who are working on projects with the Centre for Urban Energy(www.cue.ryerson.ca). This is a great opportunity to meet with innovative students looking for employment. If you would like to participate, please contact Kevin Joseph - joseph@electricityhr.ca. |
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Contact Us
2197 Riverside Drive 4th Floor, Suite 405 Ottawa, ON K1H 7X3
Phone: (613) 235-5540
Fax: (613) 235-6922
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What's New
On January 17th Michelle Branigan represented EHRC as a keynote speaker at the13th EDIST 2014 conference in Toronto. Session title: Demographics in the Electricity Sector - The Generation Game
On January 28th EHRC held a webinar on the results for the Renewing Futures labour market data - http://bit.ly/NaopkN for more details and to view.
On January 30th EHRC's Bridging the Gap steering committee met to further actions on the recruitment and retention of women to the electricity sector.
On February 28th CEO M. Branigan will present at the Canadian Nuclear Conference, on a panel entitled "Attracting Top Talent to Canada's Nuclear and Uranium Sectors".
February 18th , 2014, 2pm Eastern
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