POWER February 2022 - 23

WORKFORCE
Groups Grapple with Labor
Logistics as Energy Evolves
The continuing transition in the power generation sector means workers need new
skills. The challenge for utilities and other power producers is finding the top talent
at a time the labor pool is shallow.
Darrell Proctor
T
echnology advances in how electricity
is produced and distributed
mean workers need new skillsets.
Utilities face the challenge of retaining
and retraining their workforce, and finding
new employees in an increasingly
competitive marketplace for engineers
and others with high-tech backgrounds
in an era of increased digitization.
The labor market for the energy sector
was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data
shows a nearly 10% drop in the number
of jobs across electric power generation,
transmission, distribution, and storage
through summer 2021, a major decline
after the sector had showed strong job
growth over the previous five years.
Retaining workers also has been an
issue exacerbated by the pandemic.
Various groups have weighed in on that
problem, with some surveys reporting
more than 40% of employees in the
past year have said they would consider
changing jobs rather than continue with
their current organization.
There are encouraging signs. The DOE
data shows job growth in the battery
storage and electric vehicle (EV) sectors,
and also in renewable energy, particularly
in wind generation. And jobs in the solar
power field are expected to be prevalent,
with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting
52% growth for solar installers
(Figure 1) this decade.
" As utilities become more engaged
in the clean energy economy, they will
have new opportunities to attract young
and transitional workers who are energized
by the prospect of providing better
access to distributed energy resources
and clean energy, " said Laure-Jeanne
Davignon, vice president-Workforce
for the Interstate Renewable Energy
Council (IREC). " Their current pool of
talent can be leveraged to foster the
workforce of tomorrow through mentoring,
paired work, job shadowing, and
other 'work-to-learn' programs. This is
one way to ensure institutional and hisFebruary
2022 | POWER
1. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics last year said jobs for solar power equipment installers
are expected to increase by 52% this decade. Source: U.S. Department of Energy
torical knowledge can be transferred to
new workers. "
Those " jobs of tomorrow " in the power
generation sector include positions in
environmental engineering, waste management,
and government and regulatory
administration-along
with more
traditional engineering jobs, including
industrial machinery mechanics, and
electricians familiar with new systems
for both home and business. Technicians
also are needed to install and service renewable
energy projects.
Davignon
emphasized
the
importance
of a workforce that can handle the
growth of renewable energy. She told
POWER that " an influx of new talent
will help shape the new and innovative
approaches needed to realize bold clean
energy goals. The business of generating
and distributing energy is fundamentally
shifting, and utility workforce development
will need to reflect that reality. "
Training Programs
Some companies have workforce development
programs to support the power
www.powermag.com
generation labor pool. Eaton, a multinational
power management group that
supplies electrical solutions that support
power infrastructure, works with
customers " in a variety of segments,
including utilities, " said Dan Carnovale,
director of Eaton Experience Centers
(Figure 2), the company's training facilities.
Carnovale told POWER: " It's no secret
that energy delivery systems and
sources are changing fast. Now and
in the future, electrical infrastructure
needs to do much more than receive
power from the grid. New technologies
will be essential to supporting more
sustainable energy systems and more
technical know-how will be critical to
support changing energy systems. "
Carnovale said the Experience Centers
" provide real-world experiential learning
that both new workforce entrants and
experienced professionals need to grow
their skills. Our education programs help
industry veterans stay up to date on
emerging technologies and enable new
power industry professionals to have
practical, hands-on experience needed
23

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POWER February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER February 2022