A critical shortage of electrical engineers and tradespeople in Canada could severely affect the electrical industry, says the Electricity Sector Council (ESC). In its 2008 workforce planning report, “Powering Up the Future”, the council states that, despite job security, competitive compensation and excellent retention rates, a labour shortage will soon put Canada’s electricity sector at risk.

Demographic
factors such as retiring workforces will fuel the shortage, with an
annual retirement rate of 6.2% by 2012, and 28.8% of the current
electricity workforce is expected to retire within the next four years.
A declining supply of trained young workers will also increase the
labour shortage.



To avoid
this challenge, the report recommends a number of strategies: encourage
recruitment of foreign-trained workers and traditionally under-employed
groups (such as women), the aboriginal community, immigrants and
visible minorities; collaborate with industry, employers and
educational institutions to draw graduates from electricity-related
programs; and stem retirement’s tide through succession planning.