Skilled workers crucial to successful energy transition

A successful energy transition will require many skilled workers to be ready and willing to adapt their transferable skills for the next phase of their career. ultramansk via getty images

According to modelling by Clean Energy Canada, a climate and clean energy program within the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and Navius Research, Canadian jobs in clean energy are set to grow 7 per cent a year, from 509,000 in 2025 to 2.7-million in a net-zero 2050.

The demand for skilled workers will be driven by the need for what the Ottawa-based Public Policy Forum (PPF) describes as “a breathtaking buildout” to hit Canada’s net-zero goal by 2050.

In addition to increasing clean power generating capacity, PPF says other projects required to meet net-zero include carbon capture and storage, carbon pipelines, small modular or large nuclear reactors, and storage capacity from utility-scale batteries to pumped hydro, which are all crucial under every scenario that gets Canada to net-zero by 2050.

Skilled workers will play a crucial role in the quest for net-zero, says Ryan Plante, local union coordinator for the Carpenters’ Regional Council in Kincardine, Ont.

“The transition to clean energy is an exciting time for skilled workers,” he says. “For example, right now we have skilled workers refurbishing Ontario’s fleet of nuclear power stations, which will have a positive impact on Canada’s progress towards net-zero. It’s the type of mega project that we are going to need between now and 2050.”

The transition is also an opportunity for younger Canadians who want to contribute to a low carbon future to get involved.

“Choosing a career in the trades offers young Canadians not only jobs but also a chance to contribute to their communities, help protect the environment and strengthen the economy,” says Mr. Plante. “As we continue to recruit skilled trades workers, it’s important that we educate not only them but their families to understand that these are highly sophisticated jobs that require work with your hands and your mind.”

Duncan McIntosh, director of operations at the Millwright Regional Council in Toronto, says the transition to clean energy will require many skilled workers to retrain and adapt to the changing work environment.

“They will need to be ready and willing to adapt their transferable skills for the next phase of their career,” he says.

Clear and open communications between management and skilled workers is crucial to a successful transition, adds Mr. McIntosh.

“More needs to be done in concert with the skilled trades to understand the needs of the future so that we can train the next generation of tradespeople and those working today for the skills and the quality of work that’s going to be required,” he says.

Help for retraining will come in part from the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Training Fund, which will support a series of training projects that will help workers upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy. The fund will allocate up to $99.1-million for projects from 2024 to 2028. The projects will range from $8-million to $15-million each, with agreements scheduled to start this winter.

But will that be enough? Smart Prosperity Institute, a national research network and policy think tank based at the University of Ottawa, says Canada’s employers need workers with green skills but there isn’t enough skilled talent.

“Our research, undertaken in partnership with the Future Skills Centre, shows that Canada’s clean economy could create up to 300,000 jobs by 2030. [However] LinkedIn’s global research data from 2023 shows that the number of job postings requiring green skills grew twice as fast as the number of green-skilled workers. If these trends continue, the availability of skilled job candidates will be the bottleneck limiting our country’s ability to achieve its net-zero targets,” according to the Institute.

For worker representatives like Mr. Plante, the focus remains on recruiting the next generation of skilled workers to fill the roles required for the energy transition.

“We want to show them a path to their future,” he says. “What we do today and the decisions we make today are affecting generations to come, so it’s important that we get these decisions right, and that we engage them along the way because they are the future that’s going to build the Canadian economy when it comes to the electrification of our country.”

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To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Advancing Canada’s net-zero goals