August 22, 2023 – Power station operators operate power-generating equipment such as boilers, turbines, and generators to convert the power created from primary energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and water) into electricity. They monitor and control equipment and auxiliary systems from both the station floor and control room(s) to ensure the equipment and systems are operating safely, efficiently, reliably, and within the prescribed limits to meet regulatory requirements, achieve productivity and efficiency goals, and provide reliable electricity.

CHART OF COMPETENCY

Important: Some tasks are performed by all power station operators, while others may be specific to hydroelectric stations or thermal/fossil fuel stations.

PREAMBLE from the pages of Electrical Business Magazine:

A labour shortage in the skilled trades is on everyone’s lips, and the electricity sector is far from immune. And while the vocation of “Electrician” continues to be a popular calling for those seeking careers in the construction trades, we are going to need a lot more of them in the coming years.

As Canada continues its pursuit of decarbonization—largely through the electrification of anything and everything—our society simply won’t be adequately served by the current roster of construction or industrial electricians. Rest assured: we still need them, but we are also going to need a whole new slate of electrical pros for specialized work.

The work could involve something carried out by the electrical contractor (including high-voltage) or maybe the electric utility, or perhaps a whole new business model. But one thing remains certain: the electrical sector is not only competing with other sectors for talent, but also with itself; besides electric utilities, manufacturers and distributors of electrical solutions are also casting their nets into the same talent pool.

Some vocations are not even specific to Electrical, but we will need them nonetheless: project managers, welders, cybersecurity specialists, computer network technicians and programmers, and many others.

As such, it’s never too soon to start planning for who you will need in your workforce in the coming years.

Through its countrywide surveys, Labour Market Intelligence reports, roundtables, and so on, Electricity Human Resources Canada has established itself as a trusted source of human resources insight, programs, and tools for the electricity sector.

For that reason, we turned to EHRC to discover which electrical professions will be in high demand over the coming years (if not already!) during Canada’s energy transformation.

NOTE: This is one of four (3 of 4) career profiles highlighted in a Special Feature in the Summer 2023 edition of Electrical Business Magazine. For ease of reading, we have published them here as distinct, individual items.

You’ll find all Back Issues of Electrical Business Magazine in our Digital Archive.