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EHRC Supports the Trades
2016 Skills Canada National Competition

EHRC is delighted to be a supporting partner of the 2016 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) - the only national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in the country.

Every year, more than 500 young people from all regions of Canada come to SCNC to participate in over 40 skilled trade and technology contests. Students compete at local, regional and provincial/territorial events to gain their place to represent their province/territory at SCNC.

By providing a forum where Canadian youth can compete against each other at the national level, SCNC provides hands-on work experience related to skilled trades and technology careers. The competitions also raise awareness about skilled trades and technology sectors to all Canadian youth and their influencers - teachers and parents are welcome!

Watch the official video from the 2015 competition to see why you need to be there: http://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial

This year, the competition takes place from June 5-8th at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, NB. As always, admission to the Competition is free and it's open to the public. For more information and to see how you can volunteer at the event, visit http://bit.ly/QxGfyX


Profile of EHRC Leader of the Year - Don  MacKinnon
 
Electrical Industry Newsweek recently spoke with Don MacKinnon, President of the Power Workers Union, who was presented with EHRC's prestigious 2015 Leader of the Year award on December 9th. The award recognized efforts by MacKinnon and the PWU to develop the available talent pool of workers for the power industry and make the industry a more desirable career destination. To read the article click here: http://bit.ly/1QJCLS8



How Welcoming Is Your Workplace For Those With Disabilities?

Did you know that both provincial and federal governments have enacted legislation that requires organizations to remove barriers for persons with disabilities (PWD) to participate fully in Canadian society, be that in employment or access to services? Click here to read EHRC's Michelle Branigan's article on the benefits of breaking down physical barriers in workplaces for people living with a disability, as published in Electrical Industry Newsweek: http://bit.ly/1Qluh9q


Working Together To Address Mental Heath In The Workplace

It may surprise you that, at any given time, about one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness. In any given week, 500,000 Canadians will not go to work due to mental illness. Inaction on the part of employers to create a mentally healthy work environment, accommodate individuals with mental health problems or illnesses, and return them successfully to work is costly. Lost productivity, poor financial performance, and low employee retention are just some of the costs of inaction.

At EHRC, we believe it is time to start thinking about mental health the same way as we think about physical health. A healthy workplace is simply good business, for employees and the bottom line.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is striving to improve the health of workplaces across the country and keep employees present, productive, safe and healthy, and they have developed a number of free tools and resources intended to improve and safeguard workplace mental health: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/issues/workplace

Creating a mentally healthy workplace is everyone's responsibility and everyone has a role to play. Many organizations across the country are already using the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. This framework helps organizations of every size and scope to promote their employees' psychological health and prevent psychological harm due to workplace factors. The accompanying Implementation Guide is a step-by-step manual on how to bring the Standard into any workplace.

Watch for more news over the coming months from EHRC and MHCC as we look to develop specific supports for the electricity sector. If you would like to provide input or have stories to share, please contact Michelle Branigan at branigan@electricityhr.ca.

Industry Changes

Congratulations to Teresa Sarkesian, new President and CEO of the Electricity Distributors Association who will take over her new role effective March 1st. Sarkesian joined the EDA in 2009 as Vice President of Government and Member Affairs and has led the Policy and Government Affairs Team over the past five years. She has over 25 years of experience in policy development and advocacy both in government and the private sector.


Teresa Sarkesian 

John D. Gaudet has been appointed the new president and chief executive officer of Maritime Electric effective April 1. He's replacing the retiring president and CEO, Fred O'Brien.


John D. Gaudet (Left)

The Canadian Electricity Association has announced the appointment of Scott Thon, President and CEO of Altalink, as Chair of the Association. Mr. Thon has held senior positions in the Canadian electricity industry for over 30 years, and has served as AltaLink's President and CEO since 2002. He has been an active member of the Canadian Electricity Association and has served on its Board of Directors since 2004. Mr. Thon is also a Director on the Board of Alberta Blue Cross, a past Chair of the Bow Valley College Board of Governors and of the United Way of Calgary and serves as a member of the Canadian Athletic Foundation Board of Trustees.

 
Scott Thon

Energy Council of Canada Seeking 2016 Nominations

 

The Energy Council of Canada are currently seeking nominations for their 2016 Canadian Person of the Year Award. Contact Krystal Underhill (krystal.underhill@energy.ca) for more information.


EHRC Speaks to Importance of the Electricity Workforce

Held in Ottawa on February 2, 2016, the ECC's Canadian Energy Industry: Updates and Insights attracted an audience of over 180 which included Members of Parliament, senior elected officials, and a large contingent from the diplomatic community including 15 Ambassadors/High Commissioners. This years' event focused on energy supply issues, from generation and production, through transmission and pipelines and distribution, energy storage and HR developments and issues. EHRC CEO, Michelle Branigan, spoke to the importance of securing sufficient human resources in light of both the needs driven by infrastructure renewal and other projects, and the demographic challenge of a pending retirement bubble.

Articles of Interest

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EHRC's intelligence, tools, products, services, and in-depth labour market research are developed to support and enhance existing capacity and skills while attracting new talent into Canada's electricity industry. Join EHRC by becoming a member and you will contribute to this mission and engage with like-minded peers. When you become a member, you are investing in the future of Canada's electricity labour force economy.

Visit electricityhr.ca/become-a-member/ for more details.

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