Employment in a net zero future

The electricity industry employed just over 91,000 workers in 2021 according to the Canadian Centre for Energy Information. However, the demand for powerline workers and other specialized workers will grow significantly as the industry invests in electrification and addresses growth in electricity demand. Many Canadians will need to up-skill and re-skill. In fact, RBC Capital Markets noted in a February 2022 report that that 3.1 million Canadian jobs will change in some way over the next decade due to the energy transition.

To that end, the federal government must help identify “future” skills based on ongoing technological developments and work collaboratively with provincial/territorial governments, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to develop a pipeline of skilled workers. Governments also have an opportunity to increase financial support for hiring of apprentices, co-op students, and skilled immigrants through tailored programs.

Increasingly, immigration will also become an important part of recruitment efforts. In a global economy and competition for talent, Canada must introduce ambitious programs to attract skilled immigrants. At the same time, we need to incentivize skilled workers to remain in Canada and reduce relocation to other competing jurisdictions such as the United States.