Making the connection: industry's thirst for power means hot demand for powerline technicians, electricians.

• Author: Larmour, Adelle
• Position: HOT JOBS

The equation is simple: more demand for energy equals more equipment, infrastructure and human resources.

"Everybody wants to be connected," said Dean Gatien, vice-president of Powertel, a high-voltage electrical contracting specialist based in Whitefish.

As technology evolves, so has the way in which people live and work.

"We never used to have 2,500-square-foot houses with four computers, five televisions, three receivers and HD (high definition) in the house," Gatien said. "We never used to have servers with multiple programs and 30 computers at the office requiring massive amounts of information to be transferred."

Other energy demands like upgrading and repairing aging infrastructure, wind farms, air conditioning, and new hospitals place stress on the electrical grid. First Nation communities are also converting from diesel generators to electricity, and new mining projects are coming online in the next few years.

Technology has increased the demands on Ontario's electrical supply system, which trickles down to the equipment, infrastructure and people responsible for making sure the connections happen.

It is the human resources part of the equation that has become a challenge to fulfill. Cambrian College has long waiting lists of students applying for the electrical and powerline technician trades. As many as 200 to 300 applicants interested in becoming an electrician vie for 125 available spots in September and again in January for 24 openings.

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The powerline technician program, only five years old, has more than 300 applicants for 24 available spots in September and January.

Industry is yearning for these trades not only in the North, but across the country. Demographics indicate the retiring workforce from the aging boomer population is having a huge impact on the shortage of skilled trades. As well, a hiring freeze in the '90s has had a ripple effect 20 years later.

Cambrian's electrical program prepare students in three areas: industrial electrician; electrician (domestic and rural), and construction and maintenance electrician, the latter being the most transferable trade. The number of apprenticeship training hours varies between 7,000 and 9,000.

The powerline technician program is two years, requiring 8,000 apprenticeship training hours. Those are Red Seal programs, qualifying the tradesperson to work throughout Canada. They are part of the co-op diploma apprenticeship program, which was introduced at the...