CanREA’s National Workforce Strategy For the wind, solar and energy-storage industries This report outlines career pathways for Canada’s renewable-energy and energy- storage workforce and identifies the resources needed to support workers along their career journeys. April 2023 Edition

2 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Preface ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 About the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) .......................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Executive

Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 7 4.

CanREA’s Employment Process Model ...................................................................................................... 9 Developing the Model ................................................................................................................................ 9 Introducing the Model ............................................................................................................................... 9 The Importance of Career Pathways...................................................................................................... 18 The Community Perspective................................................................................................................... 19 5.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the renewable-energy Industry ............................................................. 20 6. Existing Career Resources ........................................................................................................................ 23 A. Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities .......................................................................................... 23 B. Children & Youth Programs and Experiential Learning Opportunities ......................................... 26 C.

Career Awareness and Exploration Resources ............................................................................... 28 D. Renewable-energy Job Boards .......................................................................................................... 31 E. Renewable-energy Training Opportunities....................................................................................... 32 F. Renewable-energy Screen Media....................................................................................................... 35 G.

Mentorship Programs ......................................................................................................................... 37 H. Renewable-energy Research and Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) ............................................. 38 I. Employer Resources ............................................................................................................................ 41 J. Educator Resources ............................................................................................................................ 43 K.

Renewable-energy Active Initiatives ................................................................................................. 45 L. Government Workforce Initiatives ..................................................................................................... 47 7. Workforce Development Organizations ..................................................................................................... 48 8.

Gap Analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 58 Canadian Renewable Energy Salary Survey Data ................................................................................ 58 Community Connection Resources ....................................................................................................... 58 Renewable Energy National Occupation Classification (NOC) Codes .............................................. 59 Renewables Participation in “Skilled Trades” Government Initiatives and Programs .................... 59 9.

CanREA’s Workplan .................................................................................................................................. 63 Current Initiatives..................................................................................................................................... 63 CanREA’s Future Objectives .................................................................................................................. 66 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 68 DISCLAIMER ............................................................................................................................................ 68 References ....................................................................................................................................................... 69

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 3 1. PREFACE ABOUT CANREA The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions.

For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” For more information about CanREA, please visit renewablesassociation.ca Stay connected: Follow CanREA on Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to “Power Together,” CanREA’s bimonthly e-newsletter, here. Obtain more information on becoming a member here.

4 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was produced by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. The lead author is Mary MacLean, CanREA’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) and Workforce Development Coordinator, supported by Mathieu Cote, Director of CanREA’s Operations Program, and Phil McKay, CanREA’s Senior Director, Technical & Utility Affairs.

Thank you: CanREA thanks all members of the National Operations Caucus, Workforce Development Committee, and National Workforce Strategy Report Working Group for their essential contributions of expertise, materials, and time. Contributors include Emma Garrod (Spark Power), Justine Sousa (Enbridge), JJ Davis (Kruger Energy), Grace Russell (RGC Energy Inc.), and Emilia Ligeti (Liberty Power). CanREA also thanks organizations who provided assistance with this report.

These organizations include Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), Careers in Energy, Clean Foundation, Global Wind Organisation (GWO), ECO Canada, National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, The Gaia Project, Inside Education, Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), American Clean Power (ACP), Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE), KidWind, Nuvéo, Iron and Earth, Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, Indigenous Clean Energy, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Relay Education, Learning for a Sustainable Future and GreenLearning.

All rights reserved. © 2023 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca For media or interview requests, reprint permissions, comments, or more information, please contact CanREA’s communications team, at: communications@renewablesassociation.ca.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 5 2. EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY There are nearly one million unfilled jobs in Canada (Feinstein, 2022). This labour shortage also affects the renewable energy and energy-storage industries*. A highly skilled workforce will be required to decarbonize Canada’s electricity production by 2035 and reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions economy- wide by 2050. Now more than ever, the industry will require a rapid expansion of its current workforce to ensure these ambitious net-zero targets can be achieved.

The industry has specific labour needs, as renewable energy workers are highly skilled and require a wide variety of foundational and technology- specific training to meet the high standard of safety and knowledge required within the field. CanREA’s National workforce strategy aims to increase public awareness of the career opportunities in renewables, and to reduce the barriers to entry for job candidates.

It focuses on three areas that will be key for building Canada’s future renewable-energy workforce: the inclusive recruitment of new, skilled workers; retaining the current workforce; and optimizing succession planning within organizations. In addition, this report acknowledges the importance of stakeholder support and collaboration to assist workers across their occupational journeys. There is growing interest in careers in renewables from a variety of groups, such as youth, individuals seeking a career transition, and newcomers to Canada.

These individuals require resources to help them enter the renewable-energy industry. Conversely, there are also potential job candidates who are unaware of the career opportunities in renewable energy. To recruit these individuals, it is necessary to create and promote resources that share information on these exciting opportunities, and how to access the required training and education. As part of the National workforce strategy, CanREA has developed an “Employment-Process Model" that demonstrates the variety of pathways that could lead individuals to a renewable-energy career.

Our model encompasses several stages of an individual’s educational journey, beginning with early experiences in elementary schools and communities. It focuses on the importance of creating awareness of career opportunities for a variety of candidates, including high school and post-secondary students, individuals seeking a career transition, newcomers to Canada and veterans. Those interested in pursuing a career will require training, which will look different depending on the individual’s previous experiences, skills, and competencies.

The second and third stages of the journey concern how high-school students, post-secondary students and recent graduates, as well as those seeking a career transition, access the training or reskilling required to enter the renewable-energy industry. Personal coaches and mentors play a key role across a candidate’s occupational journey, including the initial exploration of the industry. The next stage of the model examines the transition from education to employment.

This important transition will require the support of human resources professionals to identify candidates with the required attitudes, inclinations and skills for renewable-energy jobs. Internal communication surrounding the skills and competencies required for different roles is a vital component of the recruitment process. From the education perspective, many post-secondary schools have established Program Advisory Committees (PAC). These committees are comprised of several industry stakeholders that provide feedback to post- secondary programs.

The collaboration between education and industry helps to ensure that students are learning the skills required to be successful in the rapidly evolving renewable-energy sector. The final stage of our Employment-process model explores knowledge-retention within organizations, needed when experienced renewable-energy workers move into new roles or retirement. Underlying the Employment-process model is the need for continual evolution of career pathways. As technology continues to evolve, so will renewable-energy jobs, therefore the resources required to support

6 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca candidates will also need to evolve. In both CanREA’s National workforce strategy and Employment-process model, there is substantial emphasis placed on the recruitment of skilled workers. This recruitment and hiring must be inclusive, to ensure that individuals who have been historically underrepresented in the renewable-energy industry can engage in meaningful careers relevant to the net-zero transition.

There are various workforce-development organizations specialized in electricity, renewable energy and climate change resources for individuals at all stages of their career journeys.

This report includes aggregated lists of renewable-energy resources, including work-integrated learning opportunities, children & youth programs and experiential learning opportunities, career awareness and exploration, renewable- energy job boards, renewable-energy training opportunities, renewable energy in the media, mentorship programs, renewable-energy research and labour market intelligence (LMI), employer resources, educator resources, renewable-energy active initiatives, and government workforce initiatives.

In addition to these documents, CanREA is currently engaged in a series of workforce development initiatives that aim to enhance renewable-energy career awareness and reduce barriers within the field. These initiatives include the Occupational journey profiles that provide case study examples of individuals’ careers in the renewable-energy industry, a renewable-energy YouTube playlist that highlights videos featuring renewables technologies, ergonomics and human factors initiatives, and research identifying various electrotechnical training programs across Canada.

While there are many workforce development resources relevant to the renewable-energy industry, there are a few areas in which members of CanREA’s Workforce Development Committee and National Workforce Strategy Working Group have identified gaps.

Some of these gaps include Canadian salary survey data relevant to renewable energy occupations, customizable resources to create awareness of the career opportunities for high school students, exploring the feasibility of having renewable energy occupations classified under their own National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, and exploring options to advocate for the inclusion of skilled renewable-energy occupations within government funding programs.

As mentioned, the purpose of CanREA’s National workforce strategy framework is to increase renewable- energy career awareness and reduce the barriers to career entry. One of the ways to reduce the barriers to entry is by making the resources outlined in this report widely accessible. Therefore, CanREA’s next step is to act as a connector between a variety of key stakeholders.

This concept has led to the proposed development of a workforce-focused website that will assist students, individuals seeking a career transition, Indigenous peoples, and other historically underrepresented groups locate the resources required to learn more about career opportunities in the renewable-energy industry. At the time of writing this report, the preliminary planning stages of the workforce development website are underway. In this way, we can leverage and promote the programs and initiatives of other organizations in the workforce development space without duplicating their efforts.

Renewable-energy workers will require various supports along their journey, the nature of which will vary from one individual to another. CanREA will assist by acting as an engaged conduit between key stakeholder groups to allow for information sharing and the development of beneficial partnerships.

Through strategic collaboration, resource development and information sharing, organizations can work together to support the growth of a future workforce large and skilled enough to ensure that Canada’s renewable energy industry has the capacity and resources required to reach net-zero. *For the purposes of this document, the terms “renewable energy” and “renewables” are defined as wind energy, solar energy and energy storage, the three industries represented by the Canadian Renewable Energy Industry (CanREA).

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 7 3. INTRODUCTION Statistics Canada (2022a) reported there were 959,600 job vacancies across Canada in the third quarter of 2022. The number of job vacancies represents a 3.3% decrease from the “record high” in the second quarter of 2022 (Statistics Canada, 2022a). However, the number of vacancies “was 8.3% higher than in the third quarter of 2021” or “72.7% higher than in the first quarter of 2020” (Statistics Canada, 2022a).

On average, the number of unemployed individuals per job vacancy in the second and third quarters of 2022 was 1.1 (Statistics Canada, 2022c; Statistics Canada, 2022a). In comparison, this value was 1.3 unemployed individuals per job vacancy in the first quarter of 2022, or 2.3 in the second quarter of 2021 (Statistics Canada, 2022c). This indicates that Canadian “employers are having difficulty filling vacant positions” (Statistics Canada, 2022b). According to Statistics Canada (2022a), provinces with the lowest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratios are Quebec (0.8) and British Columbia (0.9).

This is a national challenge that is experienced across a variety of industries, including the renewable- energy sector. During the Second Edition of Nergica’s Transition Solutions Symposium, it was identified that “…the renewable energy workforce is currently under pressure” (Nergica, 2022). There are multiple factors compounding one another, such as the number of vacant positions, replacing workers that have retired, and filling new positions that will be created to assist with the rapid growth required for the energy transition (Nergica, 2022).

This is further complicated due to data suggesting that “…it takes five years to acquire the necessary skills when starting ‘from scratch…” (Nergica, 2022). While there are many job opportunities across Canada, EHRC (2019) survey data indicated that “renewable occupations were reported as the most difficult to hire for in 2017.” A report developed by IRENA and ILO (2021) states, “Including solar thermal, geothermal energy and energy storage, the renewables sector…is estimated to employ a total of 97,250 people” in Canada alone in 2021.

From the perspective of person-years of employment, CanREA (2023b) reports, “Canada’s wind and solar industry accounted for approximately 4,462 person-years of employment in 2022, having grown by an impressive 86% this year” compared to 2,400 in 2021. According to IRENA and ILO (2022), in 2021, solar photovoltaic accounted for 14,630 direct jobs. This exceeds The Canadian Solar Industries Association’s (n.d.) estimate for solar to be “employing a labour force of approximately 10,000 people per year…” by 2020. Meanwhile, IRENA and ILO (2022) data estimate that in 2021, there were 7,400 jobs in wind.

The renewable-energy industry is expected to see tremendous growth, requiring more people to join the skilled workforce.

From a regional perspective, Clean Energy Canada (CEC) (2021) reports that Quebec is “on track to see huge job growth” in the wind industry, with expected growth “by 28% a year, employing 4,300 people in the province by 2030.” CEC (2021) also reports that Alberta is “on track” for rapid growth in wind careers at an estimated “22% increase per year.” This claim is supported by Business Renewables Centre Canada, who have stated they expect “$3.7 billion worth of renewables construction by 2023” and 4,500 jobs to be created as a result of increased renewables development in Alberta (Anderson, 2022).

Nova Scotia is also expected to see an increase in wind power careers “…with the number of people employed in the industry expected to more than double between 2020 and 2030” (CEC, 2021). By using these estimates, it is clear the renewable-energy industry is rapidly expanding. This expansion is expected to accelerate as we transition towards the increased use of renewable-energy technologies to decarbonize Canada’s electricity production by 2035, and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 (Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), 2021).

The Canadian Renewable Energy Association’s (2021) Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero report indicates a need “to deploy 3,800 MW of wind energy and 1,600 MW of solar energy annually for the next 29 years–resulting in an almost ten-fold expansion of Canada’s wind- and solar-energy capacity.” This will require growing a highly skilled workforce to accomplish these goals.

8 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca While the recruitment of more skilled workers is a key component of reaching net-zero targets, it is also important to retain workers currently in the field, and to preserve their knowledge within organizations. CanREA’s National Workforce Strategy framework examines these three key considerations for growing the renewable-energy workforce. 1. Attract new, skilled talent to the renewable-energy industry.

According to EHRC (2019), participants in a 2017 survey reported that 60% of external hires in the renewable-energy industry are recent post-secondary graduates. This indicates the importance of strategies that bring awareness of renewable-energy career opportunities to children, youth, and post- secondary students. Informal recruitment efforts in the form of an introduction to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or renewables technologies can begin as early as elementary school. These efforts can continue with high-school students and post-secondary graduates.

Individuals from an alternative industry seeking to retrain may have no, some or a lot of shared competencies. There are many opportunities to get involved in the industry, such as internship programs, co-operative learning and summer jobs where youth, post-secondary students and recent graduates can gain hands- on experience within the industry. 2. Retain the current workforce. Retaining workers involves creating opportunities for career advancement, professional development, and transitioning to leadership roles.

Moreover, there is a duty to protect workers across their careers to ensure their occupational longevity. In the renewable-energy industry, there are unique challenges that can negatively impact retention. Many renewable-energy occupations are not considered Red Seal Trades. As such, there is a lack of standardization for salary expectations, and a reduced ability to access government funding programs to subsidize training and salary costs. CanREA wants to better understand these challenges and identify ways to advocate for the inclusion of skilled renewables occupations within government funding programs.

Furthermore, although the renewable-energy industry requires similar skills to some of the registered skilled trades, wind and solar careers feature a unique combination of physical demands, including climbing, working at heights, working in confined or enclosed spaces, engaging in electrical work, torque and tensioning tasks, and manual materials handling. What’s more, many renewable-energy sites are remotely located, which can require workers to travel as part of their careers. A strategy to mitigate some of these challenges include the implementation of ergonomics and human-factors solutions.

CanREA is currently engaged in a variety of human factors and ergonomics projects aimed to address challenges related to work factors within the industry. 3. Retain industry knowledge within organizations. Retaining organizational knowledge involves identifying and implementing organizational succession planning strategies. Examples include mentorship programs, creating opportunities for more experienced workers to share knowledge with novice employees, and documentation. EHRC (n.d.-

e) has a series of resources relevant to change management and succession planning available here. Underlying all three of these goals for successful workforce development is a dedication to health and safety in the workplace. With a strong workplace health and safety culture, workers understand and respect the importance of these policies and procedures. In addition, advancements in assistive technology, and the implementation of ergonomics interventions, may reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) while also improving process optimization and efficiency.

The next question becomes: how do we attract new talent into the renewable-energy industry? First, it is important to identify the stages of an employee’s career, as well as the various pathways that may lead an individual to a career in the renewable-energy industry. The following

section highlights CanREA’s Employment-Process Model, which aims to address the various career-entry pathways, the resources required, and the role key stakeholders play across an employee’s occupational journey.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 9 4. CANREA’S EMPLOYMENT PROCESS MODEL DEVELOPING THE MODEL In June 2022, CanREA’s Operations Summit closed with a panel on workforce development which explored many current challenges in the recruitment and retention of a skilled renewables workforce. Shortly following the event, CanREA developed the first iteration of our Employment Process Model. This model identified career stages, key stakeholders and several resources that would assist workers along their occupational journeys.

Having identified these stages, CanREA began to undertake independent research to find organizations that may fit within the different stages of the model. The research focused on local, provincial, and federal non- governmental organizations and post-secondary schools. This exercise yielded a list of several organizations with programs and resources relevant to the renewable-energy industry. CanREA’s Operations team then conducted organizational outreach, meeting with members of these groups to share the Employment-Process Model and learn about these groups’ key initiatives.

The information gathered during these introductory meetings, along with independent research and conversations with CanREA members, have informed later editions of the Employment-Process Model, as well as the foundational information within this report. Alongside the organizational research and outreach efforts, CanREA’s workforce development committee has been working on several projects and initiatives. These initiatives are on-going and categorized under the umbrella of CanREA’s National Workforce Strategy. These projects are discussed further in the CanREA’s Current Initiatives section.

They share the same, dual-pronged goals to increase the awareness of career opportunities in the renewable-energy industry and reduce barriers to entry. The Employment-Process Model is foundational to CanREA’s current workforce-development efforts, and will continue to guide the future work in this space. The following

section explains the components of the Employment-Process Model and defines the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders identified. INTRODUCING THE MODEL CanREA’s Employment-Process Model focuses on the worker’s occupational journey, from their early educational experiences all the way to their retirement.

The model’s first component focuses on the employee, illustrating the individual’s journey of learning about renewable-energy technologies, enrolling in training and education that supports their career aspirations, and entering the renewable-energy workforce (See Figure 1: CanREA's Employment Process Model, page 12). This model highlights the fact that occupational journeys are rarely linear; candidates may experience challenges and barriers along the way.

There are key individuals and groups that can assist candidates across their journey, filling the gaps and providing resources where required to ease the transition from one stage to the next. The Employment-Process Model contains five stages: Introduce, Inform, Train and Evaluate, Employ and Retain. The key people, resources, concepts, and challenges that are relevant to individuals at each stage are presented within the model. The model also explores the gaps between the stages, which represent transitionary periods within an

10 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca individual’s career path. These gaps also require support from key stakeholders. Underlying all of this is the importance of clear career pathways, with an understanding that these will evolve over time to accommodate changes to policy and technological advancement. The second component of the Employment-Process Model identifies the stakeholders involved across various stages of the occupational timeline (See Figure 2: Key stakeholders involved in the five stages of the Employment Process Model, page 13).

These groups aim to support the current and future workforce across their occupational journeys. Moreover, these groups interact and influence one another. These interactions play a role in developing new programs, funding opportunities, legislation and renewable-energy project development. Therefore, these groups require the support of one another to ensure success in reaching their shared objectives.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 11 Figure 1: CanREA's Employment-Process Model.

12 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Figure 2: Key stakeholders involved in the five stages of the Employment-Process Model.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 13 Stages of the Employment-Process Model 1. Introduce The Introduce stage of CanREA’s Employment-Process Model addresses the importance of early education and the influence it has on a child or youth’s later career decisions. The key people involved at this stage are children, youth, parents, guardians and educators.

The Coalition for Career Development (2019) states that “students and their parents/guardians should be exposed to career development—and the core idea that they have access to economic opportunity—beginning in elementary school.” The goal of this first stage is to introduce renewable-energy technologies as early as possible, through the exploration of STEM education and by encouraging students to carry this curiosity throughout high-school and into their post-secondary education and, eventually, their career pathways.

A report developed by the Coalition for Career Development (2019) suggested that a lack of career development “contributes to the lack of student engagement in school.” This conclusion is supported by Gallup (2016) survey data that indicates 74% of fifth-graders and only 34% of twelfth-graders are actively engaged in school (Calderon & Yu, 2017).

Today’s students deserve to understand why they are learning the material in their curriculum, and what is this material’s real-world application, in order to build a stronger connection between what they are learning in school and their career (Coalition for Career Development, 2019).

Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) (2022) published survey findings indicating that, “across Canada, only 6 of 13 provinces and territories have included climate and sustainability in their curricular documents or education policy.” However, when examining the “ladder of engagement,” it appears that “the percentage of students feeling ‘empowered’ in 2019 was 28%; this number rose to 39% in 2022.” This finding indicates that “more students felt that human-caused climate change is happening AND that there are things we can do to change it” (LSF, 2022).

As such, providing students with opportunities to engage in meaningful learning experiences is an important part of the learning process. These experiences may improve their educational engagement, and help develop their early interests related to STEM and renewable-energy technology. The groups responsible for creating and facilitating these opportunities are referred to as Community Advocates. Community Advocates are defined as educators, parents, guardians, community program leaders, community industry representatives, educational organizations and organizations focused on providing youth opportunities.

Industry can engage in the Inform stage of the Employment-Process Model by providing opportunities to students to tour facilities, participating in speed mentoring events, career fairs, and sponsoring events targeted at youth career exploration and connection to the local community. The current report formally highlights many renewable energy and general energy sector Community Advocates in the forms of local, provincial, and federal non-governmental organizations, post secondary institutions and private training organizations.

These organizations have a variety of programs, tools and experiences in which children, youth, parents, and educators can engage. To learn more about these programs, visit the Children & Youth Programs and Experiential Learning Opportunities

section of the report. 2. Inform The next stage of CanREA’s Employment Process Model, Inform, has a much wider audience. This stage acts as a connection point to a variety of individuals who are on different parts of their career journey. Despite the variations that exist, this stage has one main priority: widely distributing information to create awareness of renewable-energy career opportunities. On one side of the continuum, there are youth (late high-school) and post-secondary students. Even within

14 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca this group, candidates’ needs vary. For the high-school student, their primary focus may be to determine what they wish to do following graduation. Students may wonder what their post-secondary options are based on their interests, skills, and the courses taken during their secondary school studies. It is important to encourage students to remain enrolled in STEM courses throughout high school to ensure they have the prerequisites for future education and training.

Collaboration between industry and both high-school educators and guidance counsellors is a key pathway to improving career awareness and providing youth the opportunity to gain experience in these careers. For example, in Ontario, there are a variety of programs, such as the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) that begin midway through high school. The SHSM allows students to “focus their learning on a specific economic sector” while earning their secondary school diploma (Government of Ontario, 2022b).

Similarly, OYAP “is a specialized program in high school that allows you to explore apprenticeship and consider careers in the skilled trades” (OYAP, 2021). Collaborative efforts between industry and facilitators, for programs such as SHSM or OYAP, could create opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the renewables field before graduating high school. Meanwhile, those in post-secondary may be partially or nearly complete their educational program. These individuals are seeking careers that align with their training.

Various industries are competing for this potential workforce, and the renewables industry needs promote these opportunities widely and clearly, to ease their transition into the workforce and ensure their participation in the renewable-energy sector. Another set of individuals to consider in this stage are workers transitioning from their current careers into renewable-energy occupations. These individuals may possess many, few, or no competencies shared between their previous role and their desired role within the renewable-energy industry.

This could apply to individuals seeking a career change, veterans or newcomers to Canada exploring career options. For example, EHRC (n.d.-

p) has explored the possibilities of transitioning from the tourism industry to the electricity sector. It is important to identify shared competencies and foundational trainings to ensure an efficient career transition while also maintaining a high standard for health and safety. One component of this stage, necessary regardless of the candidate’s experience, is having Personal Coaches and Mentors. It is important to note that Personal Coaches and Mentors encompasses a large group of people and does not only include high school educators or guidance counsellors.

In Ontario secondary schools, the average ratio of students to guidance counsellors is 391 to 1 (Hamlin & Kidder, 2015). Therefore, additional support is required outside of the educational environment to ensure candidates’ long-term success. For this reason, Personal Coaches and Mentors include educators, career coaches, personal coaching groups, industry representatives or spokespersons (i.e., those who partner with educational institutions, or community events), family and friends, and people working in the renewables industry.

These coaches assist by bridging gaps that may inhibit or delay the candidate’s entry into a renewables career. For example, they may assist by locating training programs relevant to their career goals, encouraging the candidate during their studies and during their career search, urging candidates to engage in networking opportunities, introducing candidates to industry professionals, and sharing information on subsidies and scholarships available. These Personal Coaches may even guide them to the renewable-energy industry in the first place.

Each mentor in a candidate’s life plays a pivotal role throughout their career journey, especially when initially exploring the opportunities within a given field. More information on formal mentorship programs relevant to the renewable-energy industry can be found in the Mentorship programs

section of this report. In addition to these programs, industry and educational institutions can create opportunities for students to engage in mentorship relationships through the development of speed networking events, career days, and classroom presentations to students within the communities in which renewable energy organizations operate.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 15 3. Train and Evaluate The third stage of CanREA’s Employment-Process Model is Train and Evaluate. The key objective of the Train and Evaluate stage is to provide high quality education and training opportunities to prepare workers for a successful career in the renewable-energy industry. However, there are multiple routes to obtain the required training. The most efficient pathway will depend on the worker’s previous education, work experience, and pre-existing competencies and skills.

The Train and Evaluate stage may involve a college program, a course with a private training institution, upskilling training, or specific skills training as technology continuously evolves. Recent Canadian LMI survey data indicated that 46% of renewable energy workers “had achieved a high school diploma or less as their highest level of education” (EHRC, 2019).

EHRC (2019) explained this may be a result of “a lack of formal training opportunities”, “a lack of standardization” in the training for the renewable-energy industry, or the rapid changes in technology requiring on-the-job learning or informal training to occur. However, EHRC (2019) states that it is likely for education levels to increase as the technology matures. There is an additional component to this stage that explores skill evaluation. This process has two major components. The first involves the review of training program curriculum and second involves evaluating a candidate’s skills.

Many post-secondary institutions across Canada have Program Advisory Committees (PAC) as part of their curriculum development. The PAC consists of business and industry professionals, graduates, employers, and representatives from accrediting bodies or professional agencies (Humber College, 2021). Members of these committees provide guidance on how to implement work-integrated learning and experiential learning opportunities, curriculum content suggestions, and information on current technologies and industry changes (Humber College, 2021).

These groups provide valuable assistance to colleges to ensure their programs will assist students to gain the skills required to be successful in a renewable-energy career. The second component involves recruitment professionals who are responsible for identifying candidates with competencies that are desirable based on the roles they are hiring. Unlike a registered skilled trade, the pathways to renewable-energy careers are not standardized. As a result, it can be difficult to identify if candidates have all the required training and skills needed for the job.

The development of skill assessments and comprehensive competency pathways are important to understand the transferability of skills from an alternative industry to renewables. These pathways assist with identifying the gaps that may exist and identify ways to fill them. 4. Employ The Employ stage of CanREA’s Employment Process Model marks a major transition point for the candidate. Previously, the individual was engaged in their education and training,

whereas now they can apply their skills through employment opportunities. The Employ

section of this model explores options for bridging the gap between education and employment. It seeks to identify co-operative learning (co-op), paid on-the-job learning, internship, job shadowing, part time and limited-term contract opportunities that could lead to full-time employment following the completion of educational requirements. Once employed, there are important considerations surrounding employment benefits, competitive compensation, and contract details.

With many industries competing for talent, it is essential that renewable- energy employers provide competitive offerings to prospective employees. Glassdoor survey findings suggest that “…competitive base pay…is clearly associated with lower employee turnover” (Chamberlain, 2017). However, Canadian renewable-energy occupational salary information is not well known. CanREA aims to address this limitation in future work; please refer to the Gap Analysis

section of this report to learn

16 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca more. The competition for skilled talent is high. In fact, the majority of EHRC’s 2017 survey participants (60%) indicated they were in competition for skilled workers with other utilities (EHRC, 2019). This is substantiated by survey data that revealed while recent post-secondary graduates were the largest source for external hire in the renewable-energy industry (60%), almost one-third (30%) of talent was hired from other electricity- related occupations (EHRC, 2019).

Some hiring challenges reported by electricity industry survey respondents included finding candidates with the required skills or experience (45%), the remote nature of work (29%), and having limited future occupational opportunities (5%) (EHRC, 2019). These challenges can be overcome, but only with the collaborative support of key stakeholders responsible for areas such as training, education, and policy to enable organizations to access the required resources. The term Employer refers to the renewable-energy employer of an organization.

The role of the employer is to ensure the workplace is a physically and psychologically safe environment that promotes an inclusive work culture. Employers must also encourage employees to engage in upskilling and take on leadership roles where appropriate. Employers should also work closely with educational institutions, provincial governments, and the communities in which they operate to assist with the promotion of training and career opportunities to eligible candidates.

However, this partnership is not mutually exclusive; education and government stakeholders should take action to look for opportunities to work with industry as well. EHRC has developed a series of resources relevant to renewable-energy industry employers and job seekers including job demands assessments (JDAs), National Occupational Standards (NOS) and skills for success profiles. Job demands assessments identify the “essential duties required for an occupation” including both physical and cognitive requirements (EHRC, n.d.-l).

The NOS are “voluntary guidelines” that provide “practical guidance” to a series of stakeholders on the competencies needed to “perform a specific occupation safely, effectively and efficiently” (EHRC, n.d.-l). Finally, the skills for success profiles “…provide a snapshot of the skills used by job incumbents” (EHRC, n.d.-l). More information about these resources can be found here. 5. Retain One of the most important components of CanREA’s Employment Process Model is the Retain stage. This

section has two substantial goals. The first goal relates to retaining skilled workers in the renewable-energy industry; ensuring they are provided with long and meaningful careers. Once these workers have decided to transition out of their career, the second goal pertains to the retention and transfer of industry knowledge. Retention is a multidimensional challenge. A few factors that impact retention are career progression opportunities and positive work culture. A Glassdoor survey found that “regular employee advancement into new roles is clearly associated with lower employee turnover” (Chamberlain, 2017).

Additionally, there are many advantages in creating a work culture that exhibits a dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with a strong emphasis on safety culture. In our definition, work culture is greater than a single policy or procedure, it is something that is embedded into daily operations, emergency planning, and into the way employees’ approach and work with one another. The Glassdoor survey findings also suggest that “…an improved workplace culture…is clearly associated with lower employee turnover” (Chamberlain, 2017).

A challenge specific to the renewable-energy industry is the remote nature of the job sites and the impact on career advancement opportunities. If an individual works at a remote site as a technician with no nearby transfer opportunities, and the site manager is likely to remain in their role, the employee may not be aware of opportunities to progress their career. Options for remote work within the industry and utilizing a

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 17 technician’s knowledge to engage in teaching or training facilitation should be considered as options for individuals seeking career progression and leadership opportunities. In addition to the remote nature of work, there are other considerations such as the physical demands of the job and travel required to move from one job site to the next. There are also additional considerations for many renewable-energy careers that are not recognized as registered trades.

The physical well-being and safety of the worker is an important component of worker retention. Efforts to ensure this will require human-resource and health-and-safety professionals to work together to maintain worker safety and protection. Ergonomics can assist with reducing employee turnover, as well as improve how employees feel about their jobs (The Ohio State University, n.d.). However, ergonomics interventions often require the support of workplace policy changes. Canada has a turnover rate of 16% making it “the 4th country with the highest turnover at a global level in 2018” (Simply Benefits, 2020).

However, EHRC (2019) survey data indicated a voluntary termination rate of less than 5% for nearly all electricity-sector occupations. When looking at renewables-specific occupations, EHRC (2019) survey data found a voluntary termination rate of 0% for solar installers, 2% for smart-grid specialists, and 12.5% for wind-turbine technicians (EHRC, 2019). The consequences associated with an employee leaving an organization include new hiring and onboarding costs, reduced productivity and new employee training costs (TCP, 2016).

The costs associated with losing an employee varies based on their position (Simply Benefits, 2020), with the turnover cost of an entry-level employee “between 30% and 50% of their annual salary," a mid-level employee approximately 150% of their salary or more, and “a high-level or highly specialized employee costs approximately 400% of their annual salary to replace” (Simply Benefits, 2020). In addition to the financial costs of losing an employee, there is also a loss of knowledge-transfer and mentorship opportunities.

When it come to knowledge transfer, EHRC (2019) noticed that some organizations utilize retirees as casual staff to assist with knowledge gaps, signifying a “lack of succession planning.” This may cause retention issues within the younger workforce, “who may not see opportunities to advance materialize” (EHRC, 2019). Within the electricity industry, some common ways of succession planning are “coaching and mentoring” (35%), having new workers shadow experienced workers, various documentation efforts (14%), and cross- training within different areas of the organization (3%) (EHRC, 2019).

EHRC (2019) also reported that only 26% and 37% of renewable-energy employers had succession-planning and knowledge-transfer programs in place; these were the lowest reported percentages compared to trades, engineers and engineering technologists, managers and supervisors, and ICT occupations. Electricity Human Resources Canada (n.d.-

t) has a Succession Planning Best Practices and Tools for the Canadian Electricity and Renewable Energy Sector resource kit that can be accessed here.

18 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREER PATHWAYS Underlying all the stages of CanREA’s Employment-Process Model is the importance of clear career pathways. These pathways play a pivotal role in establishing an early and continued understanding of the opportunities within the renewable-energy industry for everyone, at any age, and at any stage of their unique career journey.

The World Economic Forum reports that “65 percent of the children now entering primary school will ultimately work in a job that doesn’t exist today” (Lets Talk Science, n.d.). Therefore, as technology evolves, the skills required to work in the renewable-energy industry will change. Career pathways allow job seekers to understand the various occupations with related skills. Moreover, with the transition to the increased use of renewable-energy technologies, there will be a reduction in other forms of electricity generation.

Understanding the shared competencies between industries will assist with the development of reskilling opportunities for workers. Career pathways illustrate that non-linear pathways provide feasible options for workers looking to make a lateral shift between renewable-energy technologies (i.e., moving from wind to solar technologies), between similar industries (i.e., energy sector), or non-similar industries (i.e., retail). Career pathways are also utilized to “increase employee retention and engagement” (Jefferson, 2021). Career pathways play a pivotal role across a worker’s occupational journey.

They will evolve with the evolution of the renewable-energy industry. Collaboration between stakeholders is required to ensure that information about new roles in the sector is shared with educators and job seekers, to create awareness of these career opportunities as well as the transferability of pre-existing skills. Figure 3 illustrates examples of potential career pathways relevant to the renewable energy industry. Figure 3: Examples of renewable-energy career pathways.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 19 THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE CanREA’s Employment-Process Model emphasizes the importance of having appropriate resources available throughout someone’s career, including what is needed to get individuals involved in the industry, as well as resources to optimize longevity and opportunities for advancement in their careers, and finally to assist them with the transition out of their career.

While it is not explicitly explored in the Employment-Process Model, a secondary factor that is also essential to consider is the community in which renewable-energy employees and organizations operate. It is of the utmost importance that workers have sufficient resources when they are living and working in remote communities. Remote work presents challenges, and the solutions for these vary on a case-by-case basis. There are a multitude of considerations with long-term, remote living situations for renewable-energy employees.

From a housing perspective, building fly-in-fly-out, or temporary community infrastructure, would assist with limiting the commuting required. There is also a responsibility for the industry to respect and care for the communities in which they operate. This extends to the people living in the community where renewable-energy sites are being constructed and operated. Community involvement during the planning stages of these projects is essential to ensuring that there are adequate resources for everyone who calls this community home. The Employment-Process Model is a living document.

It demonstrates the various pathways through which a candidate can enter the renewable-energy industry. It highlights the key resources and connections these individuals will need for smooth transitions between the stages of the model. The stakeholders assisting candidates with these transitions will take on new roles as the industry evolves. The interconnected nature of these groups will create opportunities to work together to promote careers in renewable energy while finding ways to reduce the barriers to entry.

20 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca 5. EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE RENEWABLE-ENERGY INDUSTRY The ongoing conversation around equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is relevant across the renewable- energy industry, and beyond. For many years, there has been underrepresentation of certain groups in the electricity sector as a whole.

Table 1 presents data focused on the employment of women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, individuals with disabilities, youth, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+1 communities in the Canadian electricity and renewable-energy sectors. It is important to note that the availability of labour market intelligence (LMI) specific to the renewable-energy industry is limited. The data provided is the most recent information available at the time of writing this report.

Table 1: Data regarding the employment of women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, individuals with disabilities, youth, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in the Canadian electricity and renewable-energy sectors. Historically Underrepresented Group Labour Market Intelligence Research Findings Women • Natural Resources Canada (2021a) reported that women held 31% of jobs in the energy sector.

When looking at job roles, women occupied 82% of “office roles.” Meanwhile, men held 97% of trades occupations. • EHRC (2020c) survey data from 52 board of directors revealed that 12% of respondents had no women on their board. Additionally, of 58 companies surveyed, 25% of respondents had no women on their executive teams. • In 2011, women made up 25% of the electricity industry workforce, only increasing 1% by 2016 (26%). This is compared to women making up 48% of the national workforce.

According to the EHRC Employer Survey data, women made up less than 8% of the trades and renewable energy workers in these fields. Conversely, the 2016 Census reported women make up 3% and 5% of the trades and renewable occupations, respectively (EHRC, 2019). • Fischer (2019) conducted a survey with Canadian wind turbine technicians.

Of those surveyed, five participants were women and nine did not disclose their gender. • Worldwide, it is estimated that 20-25% of the energy workforce “in advanced industrialized nations” is made up of women with less than 6% being technical positions, and less than 1% are top management positions in the sector. This is compared to women’s “economy-wide share in employment, which is 40-50% for most OECD countries” (EHRC, 2017).

Indigenous Peoples • Approximately “15,000 Indigenous people living off-reserve are directly employed in the energy sector” (Natural Resources Canada, 2022). • Five percent “of energy sector employees identified as Indigenous” (Natural Resources Canada, 2021a). • In 2011, Indigenous peoples made up 3% of the electricity sector workforce, compared to 3.9% in the nationwide workforce.

The percentage of workers in the electricity sector increased to 4.7% in 2016, with a high concentration of workers in the trades (EHRC, 2019). • Thirty-one companies provided data on the percentage of their workforce that identifies as Indigenous. This percentage was reported at 2% in renewable occupations (EHRC, 2019). Visible Minorities • In 2019, 18% of the energy workforce “identified as members of a visible minority group,” 1 2SLGBTQIA+ “stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities” (YMCA, 2021).

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 21 compared to 14% in 2009 (Natural Resources Canada, 2021a). • In 2016, individuals who identify as a visible minority made up 13% of the electricity workforce compared to 21% in the national workforce (EHRC, 2019). • Thirty-two companies provided data surrounding the percentage of the workforce that identifies as a visible minority. This percentage was reported at 2% in renewable occupations (EHRC, 2019).

Individuals with Disabilities • In 2017, individuals with disabilities made up 3% of the electricity workforce, compared to 12.6% of the national workforce in 2016 (EHRC, 2019). • Thirty-two organizations provided data related to persons with disabilities in the workplace. The percentage of individuals with disabilities in the workplace was reported at 0% for renewables occupations (EHRC, 2019). Youth • EHRC (2020) conducted a national survey of Canadians aged 18 to 36.

EHRC (2020) found that, “renewable energy, including specifics like solar and wind, have the most positive impressions out of the sources of electricity” surveyed. • The survey also found that “about half of Millennials and Gen Zers are open to considering a career in electricity”, “just over one in ten…are definitely interested in a career in electricity”, and “just over one third…are somewhat interested in a career in electricity” (EHRC, 2020b). • According to the national workforce statistics, 14% of workers are under 25 years old.

Meanwhile, EHRC’s survey and Statistics Canada (NAICS 2211) survey indicated those under 25 make up 4% and 5% of the electricity workforce, respectively (EHRC, 2019). • EHRC’s survey indicated that 12% of wind turbine technicians and smart grid specialists, and 6% of solar installers are under 25 years old based on the responses received (EHRC, 2019). Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community • EHRC (n.d.-

m) indicates that Canada’s electricity workforce has a lower representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals “than is present in our overall population.” Beck et al. (2022) conducted interviews with “senior decision-makers from 23 Canadian energy organizations” to determine how these individuals conceptualize EDI. This report identifies that “addressing EDI is key to achieving Canada’s net zero target” (Beck et al., 2022). Foundationally, improving EDI within organizations is seen as “simply a moral imperative” (Beck et al., 2022).

Furthermore, there are external pressures from various stakeholders to act on EDI issues (Beck et al., 2022). This presents a positive opportunity for organizations.

Lorenzo and Reeves (2018) reported that Harvard Business Review conducted a multinational study examining diversity in management positions and found a “statistically significant relationship between diversity and innovation outcomes.” This is substantiated by the Beck et al. (2022) report, in which participants indicated a diverse workforce with an inclusive work culture led to “better decision-making, promoted creativity, and foster[ed] innovation.” It is important to remember that many individuals are part of more than one historically underrepresented group.

The term ‘intersectionality’ was coined by American civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw and is used “to describe how discrimination against different facets of a person’s identity can overlap and impact their lives” (Bagalini, 2020).

For example, Branigan (2021) writes, “While all women may encounter similar challenges…not all women will experience them in the same way.” Doiron et al. (2021) explores the intersectionality of women in the energy transition and notes the “diversity of experiences that reflect the wide range of identities and intersections at play.” These intersections can “result in amplified barriers” and “impact representation” (Doiron et al., 2021). An intersectional lens must be applied to improve the participation and employment of historically underrepresented groups in the electricity and renewable-energy sectors.

Table 2 provides a series of publications, resources, and organizations engaged in addressing employment barriers and inequities in the electricity and renewable-energy sectors . This table is not an extensive list of the programs, publications, and websites available. Rather, the goal of this list is to provide a place to start

22 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca conversations, create awareness, and identify strategies for mitigating barriers to employment. Table 2: Programs, publications, websites, and articles to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the electricity and renewable-energy sectors.

Cohort Resources Employment of Women in Renewable-energy and Electricity Sector Occupations • Women in Renewable Energy Employment of Indigenous Peoples in Renewable-energy and Electricity Sector Occupations • Bright Futures Energy Camp (EHRC) • Indigenous Community Programs (Relay Education) • Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative (EHRC) • Accelerating Transition: Economic Impacts of Indigenous Leadership in Catalyzing the Transition to a Clean Energy Future Across Canada (Indigenous Clean Energy) • Aboriginal Participation Initiatives Project (EHRC) • Indigenous Clean Energy • Climate Career Portal (Iron and Earth) • Indigenous Climate Hub • ICE Network Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in Renewable-energy and Electricity Sector Occupations • Disability to Inclusion Project Resource Kit (EHRC) • Persons with Disabilities in a Just Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy (ILO) Employment of Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community in Renewable-energy and Electricity Sector Occupations • Pride at Work Canada • U.S.

Out in Energy • 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion (YMCA) Supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace • Workplace Strategies for Mental Health: Implicit Bias Workshop Materials, Leader Support for Newcomers, and Discrimination Prevention and Inclusivity • Illuminate Opportunity Toolkit (EHRC) • Welcoming Newcomers Program (EHRC) • Preparing International Talent for the Canadian Workforce (ECO Canada) • Anti-Racist Resources (Build A Dream) • National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance (IREC) Government Initiatives to Support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Workplace • Government of Canada – The 50-30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage • Natural Resources Canada – Equal by 30 • EHRC – Leadership Accord on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion The electricity sector has made progress in recent years to engage in initiatives that support policy and programs to enhance equity, diversity and inclusion in the industry.

However, there is more work to be done. CanREA believes that our association, and our industry, is best positioned to succeed when it reflects the diversity of Canada and the communities within which we operate. Discrimination, racism and sexism have no place in our industry. Recognizing, respecting and valuing individual differences and the contributions of all fosters more creative thinking, innovation and problem solving as we work to advance solutions to Canada’s environmental and economic challenges.

To that end, CanREA is committed to developing and implementing actions that will advance equity, diversity and inclusion within the association (e.g., events, governance, operations) and that will encourage and support our member companies to do the same.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 23 6. EXISTING CAREER RESOURCES As highlighted in CanREA’s Employment-Process Model, the availability and distribution of resources is a key component to improving renewable-energy career awareness and reducing the barriers to entry.

There are numerous organizations that focus on providing the opportunity to engage in programs related to renewable energy and the just transition to children and youth, post-secondary students and graduates, workers transitioning from alternative industries, newcomers to Canada and historically underrepresented groups. The following pages highlight a range of organizations offering programs including the following categories of resources: A. Work-integrated learning opportunities B. Children & youth programs and experiential learning opportunities C. Career awareness and exploration resources D.

Renewable-energy job boards E. Renewable-energy training opportunities F. Renewable energy in the media G. Mentorship programs H. Renewable-energy research and labour market intelligence (LMI) I. Employer resources J. Educator resources K. Renewable-energy active initiatives L. Government workforce initiatives A. WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES There are key differences between internship and co-operative learning (co-op) programs. Work-integrated learning is an umbrella term that captures these opportunities, as well as work placement, practica, field work and applied projects (Bleakney, 2019).

CEWIL Canada (2021) has defined several work-integrated learning terms to identify the key differences between these opportunities; these

definitions are available here. Work-integrated learning opportunities provide prospective employees the opportunity to gain entry-level experience and employment in their field. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE; 2017), 91% of employer respondents “prefer that their candidates have work experience,” 65% would prefer for “candidates to have relevant work experience,” and 56% of employer respondents would prefer the experience to be from an internship or co-op (NACE, 2017).

Internships create the opportunity for candidates to potentially earn higher starting salaries, try out a potential career, gain positive work habits, and potentially transition into a full-time career with their internship organization (Maple Education Inc., 2021). In support of the latter point, a NACE (2019) survey reports the offer rate for interns was 70.4%. Therefore, internship programs provide a valuable opportunity to youth and first-time job seekers that will assist with further employment and professional development.

24 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca There are examples of renewable-energy employers who regularly hire seasonal students for co-op and internship opportunities. Post-secondary schools and program coordinators play a role in identifying opportunities to integrate co-op, field placement, and internships as part of their program. In addition, students who do not have work-integrated learning built into their post-secondary programs can obtain summer employment directly through an employer.

Table 3 (see page 27) provides a list of formal environmental-based internship programs for youth, provided by non-governmental organizations across Canada. The programs listed in Table 3 aim to identify opportunities for individuals who wish to participate outside of their post-secondary training, recent graduates, or those who are not currently enrolled in school. CEWIL Canada (n.d.)’s website features a National WIL Directory that identifies the various work-integrated learning opportunities at Canadian colleges and universities.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 25 Table 3: A series of internship programs for youth offered by provincial and federal non-governmental organizations.

Organization Program Eligibility Requirements Clean Foundation Clean Leadership Summer Internships • Must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or person who has been granted Refugee Status or is legally entitled to work in Canada. • Between the ages of 15-30 years old at the start of internship. • Not in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) during the internship. • From and/or will be residing in Nova Scotia for the duration of the internship. • Some positions require applicants to be a current high-school or post- secondary student to be eligible.

Science Horizons Internship • Less than 30 years old at the start of the internship. • Graduated from post-secondary school. • Not receiving Employment Insurance during the internship. • Not currently working for the hiring organization. • Not currently enrolled in school. • A Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or person who has been granted Refugee status in Canada. Green Jobs • Between 15-30 years old at the start of the internship • Eligible to work in Canada. • Not currently enrolled in school. • A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have refugee status.

Electricity Human Resources Canada Empowering Futures for Post-secondary Students and Apprentices • Eligibility requirements for students and apprentices are available at the link provided.

26 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca B. CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Experiential learning is known as “the process of learning by doing” (Kent State University, n.d.). When children and youth engage in these opportunities, it provides them with an understanding of the relevance of the topics covered in their school curriculum and applies their learning in real-world settings (Government of Ontario, n.d.).

Holdings (2014) writes that experiential learning is viewed as “the future of learning.” Furthermore, this method has been reported to accelerate learning by using students’ decision-making, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, while simultaneously increasing levels of engagement (Holdings, 2014). These opportunities can begin as early as daycare or preschool, where children can participate in “outdoor education” or “service learning” such as “recycling programs and environmental clean ups” (Rainforest Learning Centre, n.d.).

Experiential learning can continue into the middle stages of the Employment-Process Model throughout an individual’s post-secondary endeavors as well. Some examples include internships, service learning, cooperative or clinical education, student teaching, practicum, research projects, or field work (Boston University, n.d.). Table 4 provides examples of experiential-learning opportunities for children and youth focused on climate- change awareness, electricity and renewable-energy. These programs and activities often require parents, guardians, educators and community leaders’ support and facilitation.

This exemplifies the importance of working together with key stakeholders to create these opportunities for children and youth. Table 4: A series of climate awareness, electricity sector and renewable energy experiential learning opportunities for children and youth. Organization Program Title Age Group Region (If Applicable) Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Bright Futures Energy Camp Indigenous youth ages 10-13. Various host communities. Clean Foundation Eddie’s Litterless Quest Grades P-3. Maritime Provinces I Wonder… Webinar Events Grades 6, 7, 8, and 10.

Maritime Provinces Clean Energy School Grade 6. Maritime Provinces KidWind* Class Activities Elementary, middle school, and high school age groups. U.S. based, accessible internationally. Science Kits and Lab Materials Various. U.S. based, accessible internationally. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)* Educational Resources for Students Kindergarten to grade 3 and grades 4 to 8. External resources listed for grades K-12. U.S. based, accessible internationally. National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project* NEED Distance Learning Resources Various. U.S. based, accessible internationally.

Science Fair Projects Primary, intermediate, and secondary. U.S based, accessible internationally. Energy Games, Puzzles, & Activities Elementary, intermediate, and secondary. U.S. based, accessible internationally.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 27 Relay Education Kid’s World of Energy Festival Grades 5-6. Nationwide. Elementary Workshops Varies based on the workshop. Ranges from grades 4-8. Nationwide. Secondary Workshops Varies based on the workshop. Ranges from grades 9-12. Nationwide. Indigenous Youth Programs Workshops can be tailored to grades 1-12. Nationwide. KickAss Careers Workshops Introducing Trades Careers Presentations for primary and secondary students. Nationwide.

Indigenous Clean Energy ImaGENation: Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program Indigenous youth aged 18-30. Nationwide. Generation Power Youth Indigenous youth aged 18-30. Nationwide. 20/20 Catalysts Indigenous youth and adults. Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate. Nationwide. The Gaia Project Elementary School Resources Kindergarten to grade 5. New Brunswick Middle School Resources Grades 6-8. New Brunswick High School Resources Grades 9-12. New Brunswick Green Experts Program High school aged students. New Brunswick Inside Education Energy Innovation Days Junior and senior high school students.

Alberta Generate & Navigate: Youth Energy, Water & Climate Leadership Summit Junior and senior high school students. Canmore, Alberta Classroom & Online Programs Elementary, junior high, and high school students. Alberta Build A Dream #HerPower Skills Women in grades 9-12. Windsor, Ontario GreenLearning Educational Programs Grades 3-12. Nationwide - Canadian educators - Quebec participants are not eligible to receive prizes. GreenLearning Challenges Grades 3-12. Learning for a Sustainable Future Action Project Funding Kindergarten to grade 12 students. Canadian residents Youth Forums Varies based on the forum.

Canadian residents. Some forums are available in-person. Our Canada Project Various. National Sustainable Future Schools Various National Student Energy Student Energy Fellowship People aged 18-30. International Career Training Program People aged 18-30. International *Indicates the organization is based in the United States.

28 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca C. CAREER AWARENESS AND EXPLORATION RESOURCES Career awareness and exploration can coincide with experiential-learning opportunities. These activities allow for students to broaden their career horizons.

Mann et al. (2020) reports PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) survey data that indicates “career expectations have become more concentrated over time.” Let’s Talk Science (2021) compiled survey data which revealed students indicated previous awareness of careers or programs presented to them about half of the time. Awareness of STEM and agriculture, natural resources and conservation programs or careers was reported at 54% and 48%, respectively (Let’s Talk Science, 2021).

Of the sciences, students were least aware of careers and programs related to engineering technology (Let’s Talk Science, 2021). Let’s Talk Science (2021) concludes that improved awareness of STEM career opportunities, role models in the field, and “greater understanding of the value of interdisciplinary skills in post-secondary pathways” results in an increased desire to take elective STEM credits in high school. Thanks to their exposure to STEM courses, students allow themselves a wider range of opportunities when selecting post-secondary programs.

Career-awareness programs have been demonstrated to have long-term impacts on participants. As far back as 1970, a UK British Cohort study examined youth (age 16) who had and had not taken

part in career talks (OECD, 2020). It was discovered that participating in career talks “is associated with significantly better earnings at age 26” (OECD, 2020). What’s more, OECD (2020) noted the “wage premium was found to be at its greatest where students took

part in more than five career talks at age 14-15, rather than at 15-16, and when they agreed at the time that they had been very helpful.” This exemplifies the importance of creating early and frequent opportunities for students. Understanding the importance of these opportunities, the next question becomes: how many children and youth engage in career exploration activities? OECD (2020) reports that on average, 40% of students participate in career-exploration activities.

However, individuals “from more disadvantaged backgrounds” are less likely to engage compared to their more privileged counterparts (OECD, 2020). A report by the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) and Future Skills Centre (FSC) (2021) found that “half of youth aged 18-24” and “one in five adults aged 25-34 received career services in the last five years.” The chance of using career services varied significantly between different groups: “Men, those with post- secondary education, immigrants and unemployed people are more likely to use career services” (LMIC & FSC, 2021).

While “nearly everyone” that utilized career services “reported some positive impact” many reported gaps “in the provision of labour market information” (LMIC & FSC, 2021). Interestingly, many Canadians are not accessing career services due to lack of awareness, accessibility, or feeling like they do not need them (LMIC & FSC, 2021) The rate of utilizing these career resources in Canada is much lower compared to other OECD countries (LMIC & FSC, 2021).

Therefore, it is important that workforce-development organizations work to make their resources widely available and affordable to reduce barriers to access, and that government bodies promote career awareness resources. CanREA can have a positive impact on the number of individuals entering the industry by partnering with these organisations in order to extend the promotional reach of the outreach for their initiatives. Table 5 (see page 31) provides a list of career awareness, exploration and planning resources related to the electricity and renewable-energy industry.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 29 Table 5: A collection of career awareness, exploration and planning resources for students and prospective employees. Organization Resource Title Description Electricity Human Resources Canada Getting Started in Electricity: Jobseekers According to EHRC’s latest Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) report, employment in the sector is anticipated to grow from 2017 overall by 2% by 2022 and will need to recruit over 20,500 new employees in that time. Any one of those positions could be yours to fill.

From design to construction to engineering, there are a wide variety of jobs across the sector to fit your skills and interest! Explore a selection of career options below to learn more about each one. Iron and Earth Climate Career Portal The Climate Career Portal is a digital platform that connects fossil fuel industry workers with career path opportunities in the net-zero economy, along with climate solution information, industry resources, and connections to training opportunities to support their career transition.

Indigenous Clean Energy ICE Network The ICE Network is an open-source, open-entry platform that provides a space to learn about clean energy technologies, connect with others who are moving projects forward, share opportunities and work together to increase Indigenous inclusion and leadership in clean energy. The ICE Network has several clean energy learning resources and tools, such as webinars, case studies, job opportunities and more. American Clean Power (ACP)* Learning to Fly: How I Became a Wind Tech A blog post sharing one person’s journey to becoming a wind turbine technician.

Skilled Jobs in Clean Energy are Growing and Offer Opportunities for Women to Advance within In-demand Careers A blog post sharing the opportunities for women in renewables featuring a case study of one individual’s journey into the renewable- energy industry. Global Wind Organization (GWO)** The Many Faces of an Entry Level Technician Examples of individuals who were military personnel and oil and gas workers who have transitioned to a career in wind. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)* Solar Career Map A map of 40 solar careers from entry-level to advanced roles.

ECO Canada Environmental Career Profiles Each environmental career profile gives you a snapshot of the profession, including job duties, work environment, educational requirements, and related careers. Careers in Energy Working in Renewables Resources to help you find your pathway to a career in renewables. Explore Energy Careers Explore more than 170 career profiles with information about work activities, qualifications and required experience, expected average salaries and related roles to find your fit with a career in energy.

Assess your Career Change Tool Select from a list of oil and natural gas careers to view its transferability to other sectors where the occupation is employed and identify skills match and skills gaps between oil and natural gas and the emerging energy sectors. Relay Education Indigenous Green This program offers interactive workshops, mentorship and

30 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Careers networking opportunities for Indigenous youth, ages 15-29. In the green career exploration workshops, participants identify how their skills and personal interests align with jobs in sustainability, environment, energy and more. Nuvéo Creneau of Excellence in Renewable Energy Énergie Vive – Métiers de l’éolien A Facebook group for wind power professionals. Perspectives – Vivre en Gaspésie Perspectives, c’est valoriser les possibilités professionnelles de la région.

C’est se donner une occasion de démontrer aux jeunes qu’un avenir en Gaspésie est tout à fait possible. U.S. Department of Energy* Wind Career Map Career opportunities in wind ranging from a bachelor’s degree to a PhD. *Indicates the organization is based in the United States. **Indicates the organization is based outside of North America.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 31 D. RENEWABLE-ENERGY JOB BOARDS Industry-specific job boards create a central location for multiple employers to post their available careers. These job boards provide job seekers the opportunity to compare similar roles across different organizations. Adecco (2022) conducted a web survey to examine Canadian job-seeker behaviour. The survey posed the question, “When looking for a new job, what resources do you use?” and allowed participants to select up to five responses (Adecco, 2022).

The survey found that job boards such as Indeed or Workopolis (78%) and social media (47%) were the top two most common responses (Adecco, 2022). Adecco (2022) concludes from these findings that, “Posting on job boards should be a priority in every recruitment strategy.” Lanz (2022) explores how posting on an association job board is a cost-effective option compared to advertising on the company’s own website or through a mass job board. This decision also reduces the amount of work for the hiring staff due to the niche market (Lanz, 2022).

The second benefit is related to increasing brand awareness and website traffic while getting in front of qualified candidates (Lanz, 2022). Finally using an association job board assists to simplify the candidate search process; it creates a centralized place of high-quality applicants for employers (Lanz, 2022). Table 6 presents a collection of association and renewables-specific job boards. Table 6: A series of job boards containing career opportunities related to renewable-energy technologies.

Organization Link to Job Board Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) https://renewablesassociation.ca/careers/ Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) https://ehrc.magnet.today American Clean Power (ACP)* https://cleanpower-jobs.careerwebsite.com/ ECO Canada https://eco.ca/new-practitioners/employment-support/job- board/ Careers in Energy https://careersinenergy.ca/job-board/ Nuvéo Creneau of Excellence in Renewable Energy https://nuveo.org/offres-emploi/ Solar Alberta https://solaralberta.ca/training-jobs/job-listings/ Electric Energy Online Job Center https://electricenergyjobs.com/ *Indicates the organization is based in the United States.

32 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca E. RENEWABLE-ENERGY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES The renewable-energy industry employs highly skilled workers. To get involved in this rapidly evolving and growing industry, candidates must undergo training to understand the job duties and safety requirements of their day-to-day work tasks. Training can take place via multiple avenues, such as in post-secondary programs, third-party organizations, community-based training opportunities, within the employees’ organizations, or a combination of these options.

The right training pathway will vary based on the individual. The Employment Process Model outlines that individuals may decide to enter a renewable-energy career immediately following high school, following post-secondary studies, or when transitioning from an alternative career (with no, some, or a lot of shared competencies), or they may already be employed in renewables and are seeking a lateral shift. Training must be accessible and complement non-linear career pathways to maximize efficiency and reduce the time to career entry, while maintaining a high standard for worker safety.

For example, an individual who has just completed high-school, with no previous renewable-energy training or experience, may benefit from participating in a post-secondary renewable-energy program. Meanwhile, an individual looking to make a lateral shift in careers from a wind technician to a solar installer, may be best suited for individual training courses that allow the worker to fill the gaps of their current knowledge and skills.

Due to the variety of training options, these resources have been categorized as either an electrotechnical post-secondary program, a renewables-specific post-secondary program (Table 7, page 35), or training offered by a third-party organization2 (Table 8, page 36). 2 Please note: This category also includes community-based training programs.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 33 Table 7: A list of renewable-specific post-secondary programs across Canada.

Province School Program Alberta Concordia University of Edmonton Renewable and Sustainable Energy Management Lakeland College Sustainable Energy Technology Solar PV Microcredential Lethbridge College Wind Turbine Technician Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Alternative Energy Technology Solar Voltaic Installation for Electricians Designing Solar Voltaic Systems University of Alberta Renewable Energy Technologies British Columbia British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Renewable Energy Electrical Systems Installation and Maintenance Smart Grid Systems and Technologies Camosun College Global Sustainability Northern Lights College Advanced Certificate in Wind Turbine Maintenance Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Installation Training Ontario Canadian College for Health, Science, and Technology Solar Photovoltaic Technician Carleton University Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Centennial College Energy Systems Engineering Technician Solar PV Installation for Electricians (Journeymen and Apprentices) Energy Systems Engineering Technician (Fast-Track) Energy Systems Engineering Technology (Fast-Track) Energy Systems Engineering Technology Cestar College of Business, Health & Technology Wind Turbine Technician Program Conestoga College Applied Energy Management – Renewable Energy Stream Renewable Energy Techniques Fanshawe College Renewable Energies Technician Niagara College Renewable Energies Technician St.

Lawrence College Energy Systems Engineering Technician Energy Systems Engineering Technology Wind Turbine Technician Prince Edward Island Holland College Wind Turbine Technology Quebec Groupe Collegia Maintenance d’éoliennes (AEC)

34 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Table 8: A list of foundational, renewables, and professional development training offered by provincial and federal non-governmental organizations. Organization Training Opportunity Target Audience Region Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Professional Skills Training Recent graduates Employees Employers Virtual Solar Alberta 7 courses listed Varies based on the course. Alberta Team-1 Academy 84 courses listed Varies based on the course.

Various Nouvelle Hauteur 19 courses listed Varies based on the course. Candiac, Quebec Enercon 7 courses listed Varies based on the course. Boucherville, Quebec ECO Canada BEAHR Indigenous Training Programs First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities across Canada. Nationwide. Professional Development Training Topics range from employability advice, Indigenous stakeholder engagement, to technical knowledge on subjects like GHG and Environmental Management. Canadian- based, accessible internationally.

Preparing International Talent for the Canadian Workforce Funded by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program, this program strives to remove the barriers faced by highly skilled immigrants when attempting to enter the Canadian Environmental workforce. Nationwide.

ECO Canada & Royal Roads University In-person and online courses for professionals In partnership with Royal Roads University and in accordance with the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Environmental Employment, the goal of our higher education programs is to provide students advanced education, training, and professional development tailored to the Canadian environment industry. Accessible online. Relay Education Indigenous Community Programs Relay works with each community to collaborate and deliver custom renewable- energy and green career education courses based on the community’s needs and desires.

Each program is unique to individual Indigenous communities. Various Indigenous communities across Canada. Quick Train Canada (Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery) A variety of microcredentials related to clean tech, construction, natural resources and environment. Canadians coast to coast to coast can now access fully-funded microcredentials to help to increase skills and competencies to prepare them to meet the needs of Canada’s shifting economy. National accessibility.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 35 F. SCREEN MEDIA FOR CAREER AWARENESS Media consumption is at an all-time high, particularly with youth and screen media (TV, YouTube, TikTok, podcasts, and other screen media). In a study by Rideout et al. (2022), teens (ages 13-18) averaged eight hours and 39 minutes of screen media daily (increasing from seven hours and 22 minutes in 2019, and six hours and 40 minutes in 2015).

To further substantiate this point, 41% of teens surveyed indicated they are engaged with screen media for more than eight hours per day (Rideout et al., 2022). Media and pop culture may provide “an entryway for students who may have not had the ability to experience what it is like to work in a desired field” (Lubenov, 2021). Chandler and Reckker (2011) indicate that media studies have found “that television serves as a highly popular pedagogical resource” when learning about careers.

Teens reported a higher level of knowledge of careers presented on television compared to jobs that are not frequently featured in programs (Chandler & Reckker, 2011). There are personal accounts from students that watched television shows and YouTube videos which inspired their careers in medicine and allowed them to envision themselves in the occupation (Lubenov, 2021).

Moreover, a student in psychology recalls her first interaction with the TV show Criminal Minds took place while exploring #criminalminds on TikTok; this assisted with building her interest in psychology along with listening to podcasts (Lubenov, 2021). With youth media consumption on the rise, this creates an opportunity to showcase engaging content to promote career opportunity awareness in the renewable-energy industry. Table 9 (page 38) presents some examples of podcasts, videos, and alternative media that is relevant to the renewable-energy industry.

36 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Table 9: Renewable energy, climate, and electricity sector podcasts, videos, and other media. Organization Media Title Topics Explored Relay Education In the Green Chair In the Green Chair is a podcast for anyone looking to start or grow their green career. Throughout the show, noteworthy guests share their professional experience to help us uncover the diverse opportunities that exist in the green economy; and the possibilities that await.

Learning for a Sustainable Future Green Jobs: Adapting to our Changing Climate – Video Series This series of 10 videos introduces students to various Canadian experts who build climate resilience through their work. Each video is hosted by high school students from across Canada. As part of your careers studies courses, sustainability and climate change courses or club activities, share these videos with your students to inspire them to think about green jobs!

Leading Change Canada Generation Net Zero Podcast On Generation Net Zero, hosts Biboye Aganaba, Executive Director and Emily Lau, Programs Coordinator at Leading Change sit down with young leaders in climate justice, sustainability, activism, and more to discuss the necessary steps on the road to net zero. Join us monthly to hear from the brightest minds in the youth sustainability scene. We are Generation Net Zero. Join us.

Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) Various Webinars Join us as we showcase how colleges, institutions, polytechnics and cégeps can lead the resilient recovery and support a climate-ready Canada. Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) Working in renewables YouTube Playlist A series of videos that highlight worker’s experiences in the renewable- energy industry and renewable-energy technologies.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 37 G. MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS Having mentoring relationships is important across an individual’s career. From the mentees’ perspective, there are numerous benefits such as professional development and networking opportunities, increased confidence, improved awareness surrounding others’ work strategies and having a trusted person to share challenges and new ideas with (UC Davis, n.d.). However, these relationships are mutually beneficial to both the mentor and mentee.

A Robert Half Management Survey (2018) asked individuals with mentorship experience to identify what was the “greatest benefit of being a mentor.” The responses included being provided the opportunity to improve their leadership skills (38%), receive the “internal satisfaction of helping someone else” (29%), professional network building (18%), and staying up to date on trends within industry (15%).

What’s more, Kennett and Lomas (2015) identified that mentorship can “facilitate a sense of meaning” for the mentor and “being asked to mentor can boost self-worth and efficacy.” Mentorship programs can also benefit organizations as a means of knowledge transfer. EHRC (2019) reported survey data that indicated 35% of respondents used coaching and mentoring as a method of knowledge transfer within organizations. These programs provide a unique opportunity in the renewable-energy industry for experienced technicians to share their experience and skills with novice technicians.

They also provide novice technicians with a trusted individual with whom they can ask questions, communicate ideas and address challenges. Table 10 provides a list of mentorship programs available across Canada pertaining to the electricity sector and renewable-energy industry. These programs offer opportunities for individuals seeking to become a mentor or a mentee. Table 10: Mentorship programs for individuals interested in the electricity and renewable-energy sector careers.

Organization Program Title Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Mentor Junction Climate Career Portal (Iron and Earth) Find a Mentor Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE)* ICE Mentorship Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) Speed Mentoring * Currently, mentorship opportunities are limited to program participants. If opportunities for mentorship open to other eligible applicants, they will be posted to the ICE Network. For more information, please visit the Mentorship Program website.

38 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca H. RENEWABLE-ENERGY RESEARCH AND LABOUR MARKET INTELLIGENCE (LMI) Labour market intelligence (LMI) refers to information such as occupational opportunities, required skills, current workforce demographic data and other occupational data categories (Future Skills Centre, n.d.-a). As the Government of Newfoundland (n.d.-

b) writes, “the best LMI provides us with information to make positive labour market changes which benefit everybody.” Labour market intelligence (LMI) is important to a variety of stakeholders to assist with informed decision- making regarding the labour market (Government of Newfoundland, n.d.-b).

These stakeholders can include job seekers and students, policy makers, human resources professionals and career service providers (Future Skills Centre, n.d.-a). • For a job seeker, LMI may provide insight and direction on what to study and career opportunities whether it be a first job or the next stage in an occupational journey (Government of Newfoundland, n.d.-b). • For policy makers, LMI provides data that “…support employment and training programs and policies, responsive to the needs of their communities” (Future Skills Centre, n.d.-a). • For human resources professionals, LMI is an indicator that allows these individuals to “…to make accurate decisions about training their current workforce and recruiting new staff” (Future Skills Centre, n.d.-a). • Similarly, for career service providers, LMI “…can support them with identifying training and skills development needs, hiring demands and employer engagement” (Future Skills Centre, n.d.-a).

Current and future forecasting data is required to ensure there are an adequate number of skilled workers in the renewable-energy industry as it continues to rapidly expand. As the technology evolves and new roles are created, it is important to have accurate and timely information to assist with informing prospective candidates of the opportunities in the field. Table 11 (page 41) provides a list of the renewable-energy and general energy sector LMI reports.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 39 Table 11: A collection of recent labour market intelligence and other renewable-energy research reports. Organization Project Title Description Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Workforce in Motion: LMI 2017-2022 EHRC’s latest labour market intelligence research initiative, Workforce in Motion, has gathered information on workforce demographics, labour supply and demand gaps, human resource needs, and post-secondary training.

It includes supporting documents that give regional focus to labour markets, as well as special perspectives for employers, educators, labour, and government. Generation Impact: Future Work Perspectives As Canada’s electricity sector undergoes shifts relating to demographics and technology, engaging and developing a young talent pipeline is critical to ensuring a resilient future workforce. Generation Impact: Future Workforce Perspectives reveals that Millennial and Gen Z Canadians have a positive or neutral impression of careers in electricity but are largely unaware of the benefits of working in the sector.

The report provides guidance on how organizations can position themselves as employers of choice for this age group to remain competitive. Leadershift: Pathways to Gender Equity Leadershift: Pathways to Gender Equity explores the status of women’s representation in companies across Canada’s electricity sector, with a focus on the leadership level. It includes a review of the current levels of women’s participation in the sector, highlights champions and successful initiatives, and offers recommendations for sparking meaningful change.

Workforce Transitions: LMI for Alberta’s Energy Sector 2017-2022 Workforce Transitions reports on a study undertaken by EHRC and funded by the Government of Alberta. It examines the labour market needs of the province’s electricity sector, including its hiring projections, renewable integration, and the impact of innovation on the skills of the future workforce. Work Transformed: The Impact of Technology The industry is facing unprecedented change—in its business models, workforce, customer expectations and work cultures.

Work Transformed, a Labour Market Intelligence report from Electricity Human Resources Canada, investigates the impact of technological innovation on the Canadian electricity sector workforce. Renewing Futures EHRC made Renewing Futures for anyone with a stake in the renewable energy workforce. The goal was to develop the first comprehensive look at human resources in the renewable energy sector in Canada. Women in Clean Energy Women in Clean Energy attempts to synthesize existing knowledge on the degree of women’s participation in the clean energy sector.

The report identifies key challenges, offers opportunities and recommendations for action, and includes a collection of profiles of many inspiring women who have chosen to build careers in clean energy. National Occupational Standards EHRC’s NOS profiles provide benchmarks for these skills and can be used by employers, educators, labour and policymakers for curriculum and training plans, reskilling and upskilling and broader workforce planning.

Electricity Competency Framework and National Occupational Standards: Employer Guide This guide provides HR personnel and employers with practical recommendations for using the Electricity Competency Framework and NOS throughout the human resources management cycle. Competency- based HR management assists with the development of the organization’s human resources programs, talent management strategies and hiring initiatives, and supports the demand for and growth of a safety- focused, highly-skilled, diverse and productive workforce.

40 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Iron and Earth Prosperous Transition Campaign The Prosperous Transition Plan is a guide for the Federal Government of Canada to not only set a bold course towards net-zero by 2050 and meet or exceed interim 40 to 45% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets by 2030, but to do so while creating opportunities for Canada’s existing workforce to participate and thrive in the net-zero carbon economy.

Green Resilience Project – Communities’ Transition Pathways This report outlines the event held by Iron & Earth in Hinton, Alberta, in January 2022, as part of the Green Resilience Project on the topic of climate change, income security, and community. Participants discussed how the climate increasingly affects their community, daily lives, and income sources. They expressed the need to be proactive, to support workers in the transition, and that potential solutions should focus on diversifying local sources of income and must have economic, environmental, and social components.

American Clean Power (ACP)* Energy Transition for All The Energy Transition for All report identifies a series of responsibilities and associated actions to be taken by the clean power sector over the coming years across the following three pillars: Pillar #1: Expand opportunity for workers, especially those from transitioning and historically disadvantaged communities. Pillar #2: Create value for communities through supply chains, targeted investments, and local economic development.

Pillar #3: Lead in diversity and inclusion, striving towards a workforce and leadership teams that are representative of the communities we operate in. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)* IREC Workforce Development Publications A series of publications relevant to workforce development in the U.S. solar industry.

Key Recommendations: Cultivating a Diverse and Skilled Talent Pipeline for the Equitable Transition This report presents recommendations based on data collected from Alliance members through in-person and virtual meetings, live polls, online surveys, at the IREC Vision Summit, and from literature review. The recommendations will help funders, program designers, and those implementing workforce programs to focus resources where they will be most impactful—and most supportive of a just transition.

They integrate provisions to support the development of a diverse workforce inclusive of those historically left behind. ECO Canada Labour Market Information Research Labour Market Information involves workforce supply and demand for the entire economy or specific industries, regions, occupations and specific demographic data and trends. Clean Energy Canada The New Reality The New Reality, from Clean Energy Canada and Navius Research, forecasts changes in jobs, GDP and investment in Canadian energy between 2020 and 2030.

Envirocompétences l’Étude prospective de la main-d’œuvre et des emplois liés à la transition verte et aux changements climatiques « Pour ce dossier, nous avons travaillé avec deux partenaires de choix, soit l’Institut du Québec et Daméco. Ce projet est inédit au Québec, et l’Étude prospective de la main-d’œuvre et des emplois liés à la transition verte et aux changements climatiques pourra devenir un outil de référence pour comprendre le marché du travail dans la transition verte et ses composantes stratégiques, et mieux influencer les actions et projets futurs. »

Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) Canadians’ Perspectives on Climate Change & Education: 2022 The purpose of LSF’s newest climate change survey is to assess Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and perceptions of climate change and its risks, and to explore views on climate change education in Canada. This survey compares current results to our 2019 benchmark survey and provides recommendations to all sectors to support climate learning. *Indicates the organization is based in the United States.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 41 I. EMPLOYER RESOURCES While CanREA’s Employment-Process Model primarily focuses on the employee’s occupational journey, employers will also require resources to assist with their daily operations. Employers have a substantial number of responsibilities under

Part II of the Canadian Labour Code. Underlying these responsibilities is the importance of creating an inclusive and safe work environment, promoting opportunities for professional development and career advancement, and ensuring workers have the resources they need to be successful on the job. By leveraging the available resources, employers can efficiently and effectively assist workers when challenges and opportunities arise. Table 12 presents some examples of employer resources relevant to the electricity and renewable-energy industries.

Table 12: A collection of resources for electricity sector and renewable energy employers.

Organization Title Description Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Recharging our Workforce The main outcome of this project was a training capacity strategic framework: Recharging our Workforce, a report on industry action that contains: recommended next steps for addressing training capacity needs; the identity of required tools for addressing training capacity needs; the identity of barriers to enhancing training capacity; and practical strategies and initiatives for organizations and the overall sector to develop and manage training capacity.

Electricity Competency Framework With EHRC’s Electricity Competency Framework – the first of its kind in Canada – educators and employers alike are empowered with the up-to- date information needed to develop effective HR tools, resources, and relevant training programs. Change Management Resources Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) has prepared resources for employers to meet their change management needs American Clean Power (ACP)* Standards Development American Clean Power (ACP) is an ANSI-Accredited Standards Development Organization. This webpage shares information on recently developed standards.

Careers in Energy Employer Support Are you an employer? We offer a variety of free resources for energy industry employers, whether you’re a small, mid-size or large company. Government of Canada Job Bank: Employer Resources Job Bank’s free tools and resources can help you find, hire, and retain the right workers, learn about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, explore the job market and stay informed about employment standards. Government of Alberta Workforce Contacts and Employer Resources A series of resources and contacts for Alberta employers.

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)* National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance The National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance is a cross-sector effort to improve clean energy education, training, and job placement outcomes— and ensure that expanding clean energy job opportunities are inclusive of diverse candidates and underserved communities. *Indicates the organization is based in the United States. Funding programs are a specific resource category that provides substantial value for employers.

These programs can provide the opportunity to create new roles within an organization, cover training costs, and subsidize the salaries of new hires. Many of these programs focus on youth and recent graduates, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for both the employer and the prospective employee. Table 13 (page 44) provides a list of the current funding programs offered by non-governmental

42 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca organizations. Table 13: Information on various employment funding programs for employers offered by provincial and federal non-governmental organizations. Organization Program Name Funding Value Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Welcoming Newcomers 4-month internship with up to 50% wage subsidy or $10,000 maximum. Empowering Futures Subsidy of up to $10,000 for every new student or apprenticeship position created by employers.

Discovering Potential The program can subsidize an internship, a training opportunity or a combination of both, up to a maximum of $25,000 per participant. ECO Canada Science Horizons 80% of wages up to $18k and training for 6-12 months of full- time employment. Apprenticeship Service Program Funding up to $5,000 when hiring a first-year apprentice; or up to $10,000 when hiring a self-identified equity deserving first-year apprentice. Clean Foundation Science Horizons Internship Wage subsidies of up to $25,000 per intern hired.

Green Jobs Wage subsidies of up to $20,000 per intern hired, or up to $25,000 for youth hired who are furthest from employment. Indigenous Clean Energy Generation Power There are wage subsidies available for Indigenous youth (ages 18-30) interested in kick-starting their career in the clean energy sector. Indigenous youth participants will have the opportunity to participate in 4-12 month-long clean energy internships, and employer participants will receive a 75% wage subsidy up to a maximum of $30,000.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 43 J. EDUCATOR RESOURCES The Employment-Process Model identifies a range of educators from elementary and high school teachers, guidance counsellors, and other school support staff to post-secondary instructors, and private program facilitators. Many of these programs create opportunities for educators to interact with industry and non- governmental organizations to incorporate experiential learning or career exploration into the curriculum.

By creating renewable-energy educational resources, educators in elementary and high school settings can inform children and youth about energy, renewable technologies, and the career opportunities within the field. In post-secondary and private program settings, the main goal is to instruct students on the skills and competencies that will be required in a career in renewables. Continued discussions with industry can assist educators with updating curriculum to ensure relevancy as the technology evolves.

Table 14 presents resources for post-secondary educators, while Table 15 presents examples of materials and resources for primary and secondary school educators. Table 14: A collection of resources for post-secondary educators. Organization Program Description Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) Academic Advisory Group EHRC has assembled an Academic Advisory Group to solicit input from a diverse group of stakeholders representative of Canada’s educational landscape.

The Academic Advisory Group generously provides their time and insight to ensure that our educational programs are in line with provincial standards and curriculum. Additionally, the Academic Advisory Group helps navigate educational solutions to industry challenges. National Occupational Standards NOS are voluntary guidelines that have been developed with industry stakeholders to provide businesses, educators, trainers, and job seekers with practical guidance.

Electricity Competency Framework The Electricity Competency Framework will allow you to implement a competency-based approach to design, develop and review curriculum to ensure courses and programs align with industry needs.

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)* National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance The National Clean Energy Workforce Alliance is a cross-sector effort to improve clean energy education, training, and job placement outcomes—and ensure that expanding clean energy job opportunities are inclusive of diverse candidates and underserved communities. *Indicates the organization is based in the United States. Table 15: A collection of resources for primary and secondary school educators.

Organization Program Description Clean Foundation Professional Learning Workshops Clean is excited to offer FREE professional learning opportunities for educators across Nova Scotia. Our online and in-person workshops support educators to integrate climate and environmental learning into the curriculum – across ALL subjects. GreenLearning Educator Resources A variety of activities, challenges and programs for students from grades 3 to 12.

Inside Education Learning Resources Our no-cost environmental and natural resource learning resources are curriculum-connected and classroom-ready, complete with fun activities and exercises that support different learning styles and teaching situations. Our

44 Canadian Renewable Energy Association www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca resources are continuously being developed and updated to ensure students receive information that supports the Alberta Program of Studies. Learning for a Sustainable Future Professional Development Workshops Our FREE 1 hour webinars are packed full of resources, tips and tricks for incorporating more outdoor learning, sustainability education, and more into your classroom practice, no matter your grade, subject, or experience.

Mentoring Café LSF is in it’s second year of piloting a Mentoring Café starting in 2022. The purpose of this virtual café is to meet with like-minded K-8 educators, in a small group to share experiences and to support each other’s learning in the areas of taking curriculum outdoors and connecting with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Resources for Rethinking Welcome to Resources for Rethinking. R4R.ca provides immediate access to more than 1200 quality classroom resources.

Developed by Learning for a Sustainable Future, R4R.ca connects teachers to lesson plans, books, videos and other materials that explore the environmental, social and economic dimensions of important issues and events unfolding in our world today. R4R resources have been reviewed by experienced classroom teachers and matched to relevant curriculum outcomes for each province and territory.

www.renewablesassociation.ca | www.associationrenouvelable.ca Canadian Renewable Energy Association 45 K. RENEWABLE-ENERGY ACTIVE INITIATIVES The renewable-energy industry is experiencing rapid, multidimensional evolution. As Natural Resources Canada (2023) writes, “the shift to a low-carbon economy requires that we take a people-centred approach to he