Human Resources 101

Calgary… Alberta’s energy associations and employers are taking action to address labour shortages with the release of A Workforce Strategy for Alberta’s Energy Sector which contains 46 new actions for recruiting, retaining, and developing the workforce.

The Strategy’s industry-led actions address the unique labour force issues and challenges within this sector. The Alberta government facilitated the extensive collaboration among 37 energy associations, labour organizations and employers to develop the strategy.

“While many companies, associations and other stakeholders have been working to deal with labour shortages and workforce development, this is the first time we have all come together to tackle these challenges,” said Brian Maynard, Vice President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. “This strategy will ensure a coordinated and focused approach as we move forward.”

“All sub-sectors played a role and it was a thorough process. We were grateful for the expertise of everyone involved and thankful for the Government of Alberta’s efforts to bring us all together,” said Cheryl Knight, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada.

“The impact of labour shortages is very real. To keep up with the pace of economic growth and capitalize on key projects in the oil sands, industry needs to take the lead and tackle this issue,” said Andrew Stephens, Vice President of Petro-Canada.

The strategy will help address labour force issues specific to the energy sector over the next 10 years. Highlights include a mobile training facility for remote areas of the province, and developing a one-stop ’super-domain’ with information about living in Alberta and working in the energy sector to attract out-of-province workers.

“The energy sector has been working on some great ideas to address our key concerns, namely how to attract, develop and retain good people to work in our businesses,” said Lloyd Dick, Communications and Research Specialist with the Alberta Chamber of Resources.

“As we move ahead, the important thing is to not only follow through on the actions but to ensure we balance immediate needs with long-term issues,” said Terry Burton, Co-chair of the Construction Owners Association of Alberta’s Workforce Development Coordinating Committee.

Alberta’s energy sector is the province’s most powerful economic driver. Many sub-sectors, including coal, electricity, minerals, natural gas, conventional oil and petrochemicals, work with and depend on many other industries, such as transportation and manufacturing.

“Our energy sector impacts the lives of every Albertan,” said Mel Knight, Minister of Energy. “A Workforce Strategy for Alberta’s Energy Sector will help to ensure Alberta’s energy sector continues to thrive and make significant contributions to our economy.”

“Alberta’s energy industry contributes over 28 per cent or $59 billion to Alberta’s GDP,” said Iris Evans, Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry. “The actions of this strategy will build a stronger labour force enabling the continued success of this sector for all Albertans.”

A Workforce Strategy for Alberta’s Energy Sector stems from the government’s 10-year labour force development strategy, Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce (BETW) which was launched in 2006. The Government of Alberta’s role is to bring together industry stakeholders to work collaboratively while industry is responsible for developing and implementing the actions.

Government’s strategy to address labour shortages is one of the key actions under Premier Ed Stelmach’s plan to manage growth pressures. Other priorities for the government are to govern with integrity and transparency, improve Albertan’s quality of life, build a stronger Alberta and promote safe and secure communities.

Energy sector teams up to tackle labour challenges