Building Canada’s electricity future starts with workers

VANCOUVER — MEGAN GORDON, Manager of the Pembina Institute’s Sustainable Workforce program, made the following statement in response to the federal government’s launch of the Energy and Electricity Workforce Alliance.

“We are pleased to see the federal government establish the Energy and Electricity Workforce Alliance. Canada is planning a major expansion and electrification of its energy system, and that means we are going to need a lot more people with the skills to build and operate it. The federal government wants to double the grid by 2050, which could mean up to 130,000 new jobs in the electricity sector. We need to be thinking now about who is going to do this work, and what skills they will need.

“Canada wants to move quickly on major infrastructure and electrification projects, but employers are already seeing a shortage of skilled workers. More than 80% of electricity employers say finding skilled talent is their biggest challenge. If we don’t plan for the workforce at the same time as we plan for the infrastructure, shortages will add to costs and delays. We’ve been calling for this kind of coordinated approach for some time, so we’re glad to see employers, unions, industry groups, post-secondary educational institutions and Indigenous partners coming together to identify gaps and connect them to training and other investments. This is an important step toward making sure workers are ready when projects get underway.

“For the Alliance to be effective, it needs to have a meaningful role in advising on the implementation of Canada’s Electrification Strategy with workforce planning treated as a core part of the strategy. It should also help shape federal investments in skills and training, including Team Canada Strong and the Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund. Canada has an opportunity to make sure workers benefit from major investments ahead while also making sure we have the people needed to get projects built. The Alliance can help make that happen.”