Fall 2019

New policies and growing public interest in energy efficiency are a boon to workers in construction, manufacturing, utilities and much more

Doug Johnson

The energy-efficiency sector is something of a hidden gem in Canada’s economy, employing a wide array of workers across the country. Recent research has shown that both Canadian and US-based employers in the industry are finding it hard to fill openings in this diverse sector, as a good portion of the workforce lacks the experience, skills, qualifications, certifications and education employers need. This is a massive economic opportunity. For young people hoping to or currently working in skilled trades, for example, energy efficiency represents a robust and growing market, one where their skills and education can be put to good use as a part of the growing low-carbon economy.

The majority of energy-efficiency jobs in Canada generally fall in a few key categories: construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, professional and business services, utilities and other services, according to a report by ECO Canada on energy-efficiency employment in the country. The report also notes that there were more than 50,000 Canadian businesses doing energy-efficiency work in 2018, which represents $14.9 billion in revenue and a total of 436,000 people doing work in energy efficiency every day.

Making the shift

For some, it can be an easy transition to the energy-efficiency sector from other parts of the economy. Vancouver’s Luke Dolan began his career in construction. After being confronted with how much energy and money homes lost each year due to inefficiencies, he grew interested in sustainable building practices.

Now, over the past 10 years, his firm, Capital Home Energy, an energy design company, has tested around 5,000 homes and helped many families update their home insulation and heating systems

According to Dolan, Vancouver’s building codes, and BC’s building code writ large, have become more energy efficient – a boon to his business.

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in the building industry. For 30 years, energy building codes have been stagnant and now it’s ramping up extremely fast because of the provincial goal for all new homes to be built to a net-zero ready standard by 2032,” Dolan said.

Government incentives create opportunities

Other districts around Canada are also offering incentives for homeowners to retrofit their dwellings or for home-builders to consider energy-efficient fixtures to save on their electricity and heating bills. This is likely to create new employment opportunities in construction.

The Canadian government announced $1.01 billion for energy-efficiency programs, including retrofits, in the March 2019 budget. This funding is disseminated through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, and has already seen uptake in cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, ON, and Halifax. These funding injections will translate into jobs in key energy-efficiency sectors.

“Policies at federal and provincial levels have spurred actions to achieve energy savings through the development and deployment of more efficient goods and services,” the ECO Canada report said.

It added that, according to public opinion research, 88% of Canadians were interested in purchasing more efficient appliances. Perhaps more surprisingly, 79% considered upgrading their homes to save energy and 78% responded they would consider switching to efficient heating and cooling systems.

Projected employment growth

The ECO Canada report projects that the energy-efficiency sector will grow by 8.3% in 2019, creating 36,000 jobs. Similarly, employers in the field expect a growth of 7.8% this year.

South of the border, the US energy-efficiency sector reported more than 2.3 million jobs last year – a 3.4% increase over the year prior, according to the 2019 US Energy and Employment Report (USEER).

Meanwhile, the 2018 Less is More jobs report from Efficiency Canada and Clean Energy Canada predicts that 118,000 annual jobs would be created between now and 2030, should the field continue to develop in a robust way. In the same time period, Canada’s GDP could increase by $356 billion as a result of improved energy efficiency.

“Energy efficiency may not draw as much attention as other policy solutions, but make no mistake: it’s one of the most important – and certainly most cost-effective – ways to upgrade Canada for the future,” the report said.

Besides providing a steady stream of work and saving Canadians money, energy-efficient buildings also help reduce Canada’s carbon footprint. The Less is More report calculated that energy-efficiency measures will “help Canada cut one-quarter of the carbon pollution required to meet our international commitments.”

What kind of jobs are available?

While the bulk of energy-efficiency jobs – 66% – in Canada are in construction, the sector also employs people in other diverse professions.

For instance, Toronto-based company ecobee developed a series of smart, Wi-Fi-controlled thermostats, employing staff in sales, marketing, user experience, account management, programming, data science, analytics, business development and more.

“When I started my career, energy efficiency was a torch carried by NGOs and utilities. Then rose companies and brands like ecobee, experiencing huge year-over-year growth,” said Fatima Crerar, the firm’s director of impact and sustainability.

Other energy-efficiency sector firms in Canada work in engineering, architecture, technology, consulting and design.

As interest in energy efficiency grows, so too do the job opportunities that surround it. Similarly, as governments around Canada seek to protect the environment and help citizens save money using improved technology and building techniques, there will be a stark need for young workers with modern skillsets and a willingness to learn.

Doug Johnson is a journalist and writer specializing in science, environment and agri-food topics. His work has appeared in MIT’s Undark, Hakai Magazine, The Edmonton Journal and more.

Johnson wrote this article on behalf of Efficiency Canada, the national voice for an energy efficient economy. Housed at Carleton University, as part of the Carleton Sustainable Energy Research Centre, Efficiency Canada advocates to make our country a global leader in energy efficiency. ourhumanenergy.org

References

ECO Canada. (2018). Energy Efficiency Employment in Canada. Retrieved from eco.ca/research/report/energy-efficiency-canada/

Energy Futures Initiative. (2019). U.S. Energy and Employment Report 2019. Retrieved from static1.squarespace.com/static/5a98cf80ec4eb7c5cd928c61/t/5c7f5326b208fc58dbad974c/1551848231042/USEER_EE_Chapter.pdf

Glave, J. (2019, June 12). “Inside British Columbia’s “Revolutionary” Building Energy Code.” Retrieved from efficiencycanada.org/inside-british-columbias-revolutionary-building-energy-code/

“Halifax Announced as New Urban Climate Centre.” (2019, July 4). Newswire. Retrieved from newswire.ca/news-releases/halifax-announced-as-new-urban-climate-centre-829564678.html

“Multi-residential building retrofits help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto and Hamilton.” (2019, July 8). Newswire. Retrieved from newswire.ca/news-releases/multi-residential-building-retrofits-help-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-toronto-and-hamilton-871386585.html

Proudfoot, S. (2019, March 19). “Cities are billion-dollar winners in Budget 2019.” Maclean’s. Retrieved from macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/cities-are-billion-dollar-winners-in-budget-2019/

Graduates who want to tackle climate change need an in-depth knowledge of sustainability, with its combination of economic, environmental and societal perspectives

Jennifer McKellar, Daniel Hoornweg, Hossam Gaber and Akira Tokuhiro

Climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts are creating and sustaining varied careers across Canada. Impacts of climate change are already manifest with less than 1°C global warming. Students graduating today will see significantly more climate change effects and intense debates on burden-sharing locally, nationally and internationally. There will be louder, more urgent calls for low-carbon energy, and Canadian graduates will increasingly be called on to help shape the global response to climate change and other planetary challenges. We need to ensure our graduates are entering the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need.

Many high school students are graduating concerned about climate change, but not well-versed on how to address the issue. A study by Wynes and Nicholas (PLoS ONE, 2019) found that “climate … curricula in Canadian secondary schools focus on human warming, [but] not [on] scientific consensus, impacts or solutions.” Starting in Europe and moving to Canada and the US, the “Fridays for Future” school strikes for climate are growing. Some 150,000 students participated in Montreal in March 2019 (Fridays for Future Canada, 2019). Many of these protesters may want to continue their education in ways that allow them to contribute through technically sound and socially acceptable solutions to climate change.

Changing energy systems

Changing how we supply and use energy is one of the main targets for mitigating climate change. Tomorrow’s graduates will need to operate in an environment where energy systems and associated socio-economic underpinnings vary by province and by country. For example, Alberta and Saskatchewan have a heavy economic reliance on fossil fuels and higher greenhouse gas emissions per capita than British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec (Flanagan, et al., 2016: Tbl 1), where there is growing emphasis on low-carbon technologies and ‘smart systems’ to reduce energy use. Canada needs renewed efforts in the near- to mid-term to develop resilient systems that combine appropriate technologies and socially acceptable policies.

The need to change our energy systems is broadly acknowledged, and indeed the transition has already begun, building on existing strengths across the country. A recent report by Clean Energy Canada (2019) found that between 2010 and 2017, “the [Canadian] clean energy sector grew at a rate of 4.8% …” annually, outstripping overall economic growth by 1.2%. Further, the number of people working in the sector grew by 16% over the same period (Clean Energy Canada 2019). Many of the clean-energy sector jobs are in ‘traditional’ areas such as nuclear and hydroelectric power generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and public transportation (Clean Energy Canada 2019). However, there is also a call to expand our workforce’s skillset to better support the energy transition.

“Tomorrow’s graduates will need to operate in an environment where energy systems and associated socio-economic underpinnings vary by province and by country.”

PwC (2018) notes we will need to develop new kinds of alternative energy occupations to respond to climate change and resource scarcity. In the recent Generation Energy Council Report (2018), “Skills and Talent Attraction and Development” is identified as a component of “Canada’s Energy Transition Toolkit”. Among the report’s suggestions:

• “… technical training to support the application of new technologies that advance efficiency and emissions reductions across all of Canada’s energy systems.”
• Preparing workers to fill positions related to “… planning, implementation and maintenance of retrofits and net-zero new construction, delivery of demand management programs, development of integrated urban plans, and other key jobs in the efficiency sector.”

In a recent search of job postings on Indeed, eight of the first 16 results for the word “energy” in Toronto had job titles relevant to the energy analysis and efficiency sector, including Project Coordinator – Energy Efficiency and Renewables, and Energy Analyst. Graduates need to be equipped with the skills to navigate this employment reality.

A multidisciplinary skill set

Students graduating into careers associated with climate change mitigation and adaptation require an in-depth knowledge of sustainability, with its combination of economic, environmental and societal perspectives. Graduates need new tools of systems analysis and a dynamic education with continuous learning. Technologies are changing fast; so, too, are social contracts and the norms associated with energy systems and climate action.

A university education can provide the skillset needed to excel in these new and evolving careers, one that is broad enough to let graduates see the ‘big picture’ but detailed enough for them to handle new issues and challenges as they arise. New degrees such as the Bachelor of Technology in Sustainable Energy Systems at Ontario Tech University (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) are designed to meet these requirements. An objective of this program is to provide graduates with technical and analytical skills, as well as the multidisciplinary perspective required to put those skills into effective action. At its core, this includes the ability to take a systems approach to analysis and a ‘sustainability’ perspective.

The energy transition has already begun, and employers are already looking for skilled workers. There are also calls to improve and expand on training. To succeed in these careers, graduates need hybrid skills that combine knowledge of the fundamentals of fast-changing technologies and social, economic and environmental implications. Graduates will need to be sufficiently adept at continuous learning to assess regular revisions of technologies, along with rapid responses to shifts in social licenses, economic priorities, governance structures and business priorities.

Jennifer McKellar, PhD, PEng, is an Associate Professor, with expertise in the techno-economic and environmental assessment of energy systems. Daniel Hoornweg, PhD, PEng, is an Associate Professor with expertise in energy and material flows in urban systems. Hossam Gaber, PhD, Professor and Graduate Program Director, research area intelligent control and safety systems for smart energy and transportation infrastructures. Akira Tokuhiro, PhD, is Dean and Professor with expertise and interests in experimental and computational R&D on next generation nuclear and energy systems. All authors are with the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science at Ontario Tech University, and were involved in the development of the new Bachelor of Technology degree program.

References

Clean Energy Canada. 2019. Missing the bigger picture, Tracking the energy revolution 2019. May. Clean Energy Canada. Available at: cleanenergycanada.org/report/missing-the-bigger-picture/

Flanagan, E., Zimmerman, D., Horne, M., Frappé-Sénéclauze, T.-P. 2016. Race to the front: Tracking pan-Canadian climate progress and where we go from here. September. The Pembina Institute. Available at: pembina.org/reports/race-to-the-front-english.pdf

Fridays for Future Canada. 2019. Media release: Thousands of Canadian youth protest for third time. May 27. Internet. fridaysforfuture.ca/media-release-thousands-of-canadian-youth-striking-again-for-their-future/ Last Accessed: August 2, 2019.

Generation Energy Council. 2018. Canada’s energy transition, Getting to our energy future, together. June. Generation Energy Council Report. Available at: nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/CoucilReport_july4_EN_Web.pdf

PwC. 2018. Workforce of the future, The competing forces shaping 2030. PwC. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/people-organisation/workforce-of-the-future/workforce-of-the-future-the-competing-forces-shaping-2030-pwc.pdf

Wynes, S., Nicholas, K.A. 2019. Climate science curricula in Canadian secondary schools focus on human warming, not scientific consensus, impacts or solutions. PLoS ONE. 14(7): e0218305.

As a milestone anniversary approaches, the S&Gs are undergoing a significant update with collaboration, inclusivity and transparency top of mind

Kathy McDonald

Did you know the Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development Practitioners (S&Gs) are close to 20 years old? The S&Gs were created in the late 1990s by a broad cross-section of career development practitioners (CDPs) and stakeholders through a grassroots approach managed by an elected volunteer National Steering Committee. Following extensive consultation across Canada from 1996 to 2000, the S&Gs were launched in early 2001, mapping out the code of ethical behaviour, knowledge and skills required to work within the career development sector. Despite the accelerating pace of global change, the S&Gs stood still until 2004, when volunteers tackled the challenge of revitalization in efforts to make the S&Gs increasingly measurable, inclusive and relevant. Now, approaching this milestone anniversary, it is evident that a significant and focused update is needed.

CDPs across Canada agreed that the renewal of the S&Gs is necessary to reflect the evolving nature of our work. Specifically, they said the S&Gs need to be more inclusive of the diversity of CDPs and the clients they serve. By updating the S&Gs, we will ensure they can be used to underpin targeted training and professional development, promote clarity of role and scope of practice, and promote awareness and professional recognition.

That was then – this is now

In September 2018, the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) received funding through the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiative Program for its Supporting Canadians to Navigate Learning and Work (CDP Competence) project. The 35-month project is led by CCDF in partnership with the Canadian Council for Career Development (3CD), working closely with career development stakeholders across Canada.

In addition to updating the S&Gs, we are expanding the framework to reflect current and emergent practice in the career development field, including the full range of professionals doing career development work across diverse settings. We plan to reach employers, training providers and professional associations throughout the project. Collaboration with all provincial and territorial associations and partners is well under way as, together, we explore possibilities for stronger cohesion and professional mobility through a pan-Canadian approach to certification.

The project will build on the strong foundations established through the original S&Gs and the ongoing dedication of two 3CD working groups: the S&Gs Revision Working Group and the Certification Working Group. It will also build on the enormous efforts and investments of provincial associations and territorial organizations in building professional identity, promoting professional development and advancing certification. Consistent with the rollout of the original S&Gs project, the CCDF and the 3CD will conduct all phases of the project with the principles and values of collaboration, inclusivity and transparency top of mind. We want career development practitioners to be the focus and the driver as the S&Gs evolve to become the new Career Development Professional Competency Framework.

Phase 1: Awareness and engagement

The first four months of the project centred on engaging stakeholders and building the 25-member National Stakeholder Committee (NSC), which has representatives from every province and territory. At a meeting in late 2018, stakeholders engaged in discussion surrounding the process for the development and maintenance of a new model – a pan-Canadian competency framework (ie, a coherent library of competencies), which builds on the important work done to date by the 3CD working groups. A benefit to this new competency framework model is that it can accurately define a field of practice and a standard for a profession, which can inform practice in the Canadian career development ecosystem.  The competency framework model is dynamic and scalable, and individual elements can be updated to reflect current practice as the work world evolves. We are designing it this way so that CDPs can clearly see themselves and their work reflected in the framework, both now and into the future.

Phase 2: Consultation and consolidation

The second phase of the project began in January 2019 and will continue until early 2020, with a focus on communicating and consulting with stakeholders across the country. All CDPs can participate in shaping the framework by visiting our website to tell us about their practice, consider the new definition of Career Development Professional, and complete other polls and surveys.

Regional focus groups, provincial and territorial coffee consultation sessions, structured interviews, surveys, polls and conference presentations and sessions have begun, and will continue throughout the fall. The final validation and ratification of the CDP Competency Framework will occur with the National Stakeholder Committee in early 2020.

Career Development Professional definition

Career Development Professionals help individuals navigate learning and employment transitions across the lifespan. Career Development Professionals help individuals to manage learning and employment, acquire and enhance skills, seek and create employment, and access community services that support personal and professional growth in an increasingly complex, interdependent and changing world. Career Development Professionals collaborate with employers, education and training providers, community-based services, and other private and public institutions to promote positive health, social and economic outcomes of individuals, institutions and communities.

Phase 3: Implementation

Promoting and actively supporting the adoption and implementation of the new CDP Competency Framework by CDPs, their employers, training providers and professional associations will be the emphasis of the third phase of the project during the spring and summer of 2020. Applications of the framework may include individual learning plans, organizational training plans, community-based and post-secondary training and professional development, and recruitment and recognition of CDPs. An online, user-friendly self-assessment tool will be developed so that CDPs can determine their strengths and areas in which they might want to pursue training. Individual and group learning plans can be informed by this self-assessment in a proactive manner, so that all practitioners are supported in further developing and enhancing their knowledge and skills.

Phase 4: Certification and sustainability

During the spring, summer and fall of 2020, we will explore options for promoting national cohesion through a pan-Canadian or national approach to certification. A pilot certification process will be field-tested with volunteers, and a summary report and recommendations will be presented to the NSC for consideration.  This early certification process is a fantastic opportunity for interested CDPs to take a leadership role and shape the adoption of certification across the country.

Embracing the future together

This CDP Competence project recognizes, respects, and builds on the expertise, trust and goodwill that characterize the career development community.  We are eager to continue to work and learn alongside CDPs and stakeholders like you to update the S&Gs.  Through collaborative action, we can strengthen the sector’s coherence.  Working together, we will set the standard of professional practice for CDPs in Canada, ensuring all Canadians have the supports they need to navigate learning and work.

Kathy McDonald, Project Director with CCDF, has worked in key educational leadership roles at the school, school board and ministry levels. She has a record of accomplishments in the research, design, development and implementation of provincial, regional and pan-Canadian curriculum, programs, frameworks, strategies and policies. McDonald is honoured to collaborate with career development stakeholders across Canada to lead the Supporting Canadians to Navigate Learning and Work project.