IBEW Canada International Vice President Russ Shewchuk has been appointed Labour Ambassador to Canada’s new Energy and Electricity Workforce Alliance, giving electrical workers a direct voice in national workforce planning for the energy and electricity sector.
Launched by the Government of Canada, the Alliance brings labour, industry, education, Indigenous partners and other stakeholders together to address workforce challenges and ensure Canada has the skilled workers needed to meet growing energy and power needs.
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) will lead the Alliance, supported by the Energy Council of Canada and the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA). Together, the organizations will help bring partners from across Canada’s energy and electricity sectors to the table.
The Alliance will examine labour market needs, identify workforce and skills gaps, set priorities and develop actions to help build the skilled workforce pipeline required for major projects, grid expansion, and emerging technologies.
Shewchuk will serve as one of three Alliance Ambassadors, representing labour alongside ambassadors for industry and education.
“Workforce planning has to happen alongside project planning,” Shewchuk said at the announcement. “We cannot decide what we want to build, get the projects underway and then ask where the people are going to come from.”
His appointment gives IBEW Canada an important opportunity to bring the experience and priorities of electrical and other building trades workers into these national discussions.
Four Priorities for the Skilled trades
During his remarks, Shewchuk identified four areas that require attention:
- Red Seal licensing and enforcement: Protect the value of Red Seal certification and ensure standards are recognized and enforced across the construction industry.
- Create strong pathways for long-term skilled trades careers: Give apprentices and tradespeople a clear path to careers where their skills are valued and they can build a good life and support their families.
- Improve worker mobility: Make it easier for workers to take their skills where they are needed by improving mobility and harmonizing safety and training standards across provinces, territories and sectors. Workers should not face unnecessary recertification or retraining simply because they move to a new jurisdiction.
- Provide support for workers who travel: Recognize the financial and family impact of travelling for major projects and examine the supports workers and their families need when work takes them away from home.
“These are practical issues, and they are exactly the kinds of issues this Alliance can help address,” Shewchuk said.
As Canada plans major energy and electricity projects, Shewchuk’s appointment ensures the people who will build, maintain and modernize those systems have a labour voice at the table.
What Comes Next
With the Alliance now established, its work will focus on bringing sector partners together, analyzing labour market needs and developing action plans to address workforce gaps.
For Shewchuk, that means bringing the priorities of IBEW members and skilled trades workers into the discussion as the Alliance moves from identifying challenges to developing practical solutions.
Watch IVP Shewchuk’s address during the official announcement alongside the Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu, and other stakeholders on September 2nd in Ottawa, ON:
Read the Government of Canada announcement and the Electricity Human Resources Canada release for more information about the Alliance.
