Newswise — July 27, 2012 – Toronto, ON - The demand for skilled workers in the energy sector is intensifying. The Conference Board of Canada expects $347 billion of investment from now to 2030 to replace aging electricity infrastructure and to add increased generation. This investment means the country can expect employment to increase by an average of 156,000 jobs annually over the next 20 years.
What’s more, the Electricity Sector Council predicts that about half of the people in this sector will be leaving the industry within the next five years. The Petroleum HR Council also estimates an additional 15,000 workers will be needed Canada-wide over the next four years. What remains is a real shortage for skilled employees.
“We have been witnessing this human resources challenge for years,” says Dan McGillivray, executive director-designate of the Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) at Ryerson University. “The skills needed in the energy sector are different from what they were 20 – or even 10 – years ago. We need to get people up to speed as to what’s happening in this industry, and we need to do it fast.”
In partnership with Ryerson’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, CUE’s solution is an Energy Management and Innovation Certificate program that addresses this skills disconnect.
Available in the fall, students can expect to learn about energy management, conservation, sustainability, and public policy that governs this regulated sector. The certificate also covers innovation and entrepreneurship, which is needed to address the challenges and opportunities for developing new energy technologies and business enterprises.
“This program is driven by the needs of the sector,” adds Bala Venkatesh, CUE’s academic director. “The certificate allows those already in the energy industry to get the knowledge they need to advance into management or leadership roles, and it allows those looking to break into the industry the understanding they need to start their own energy business.”
The interdisciplinary curriculum, which incorporates engineering, science, technology, business and public policy, is taught by industry heavy-hitters such as Peter Love, the Ontario Power Authority’s former Chief Energy Conservation Officer; Dan McGillivray, who was the managing director at the Ontario Centres of Excellence prior to joining CUE; and Sean Conway, research fellow with CUE, policy advisor at Gowlings LLP and former cabinet minister.
Courses in the program include: Energy Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Current Topics in Energy Management and Innovation, Renewable Energy and Green Technology and Fundamentals of Project Management. A full list of required and elective courses can viewed at the Chang School website.
For more information, contact:
Karen ParuchaMarketing and Communications ManagerCentre for Urban EnergyOffice: 416-979-5000 x2988Cell: 416-898-4336Email: [email protected]
Tara BolgerBlueSky Communications416-929-2052Email: [email protected]
About CUEThe Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) is an academic-industry partnership that is exploring and developing solutions to urban energy issues, such as the advancement of clean energy technologies, energy conservation and demand management, energy storage and smart infrastructure. For more information visit: www.cue.ryerson.ca.
About The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing EducationThe Chang School’s mission is to be a leader in innovative, quality, lifelong learning that empowers adults to reach their life and career goals. It is Canada’s largest, most successful continuing education program, with approximately 70,000 enrollments each year. It operates on five key elements: Superior and innovative programming, instructors who are thinkers and practitioners, connectedness through partnerships, a community of motivated students, and a collaborative model. For more information visit: www.ryerson.ca/ce.
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