Under the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement (LMA), beginning in 2008 and ending March 2014, the Electricity and Alternative Energy Division of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources (MEMPR) will receive $800,000 to fund programs that further the development or enhancement of British Columbia’s labour market needs.
The B.C. Energy Plan commits MEMPR to taking active measures to address current and projected demand for workers with a focus on under-represented groups that offer excellent employment potential. LMA funded labour market programs are restricted to participants who are not eligible for employment insurance programs and services or who are employed but are low skilled, lacking literacy and essential skills needed to obtain sustainable employment. A key action under the WorkBC action plan identifies recruitment of immigrant workers as an important strategy to address skills shortages. Other target groups include: Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, older workers, women and youth.
With the introduction of new Provincial energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions programs such as LiveSmart BC, there is a growing need for ecoENERGY Certified Energy Advisors. There is an anticipated shortage of skilled workers in this area to meet the growing demand.
The Electricity and Alternative Energy Division (EAED) of the MEMPR is committed to funding two energy efficiency employment development programs, creating new training opportunities in the field:
The overall goal of the energy efficiency employment development program is to provide training for participants to work in the field of energy efficiency. This training could involve working as advisors to perform walk-through evaluations of residential homes and small-commercial buildings, assisting building evaluators on more complex residential energy evaluations, or working as consultants for building owners or managers to assist them in planning and implementing energy efficiency measures in their buildings.
These assessments and upgrades will position building owners and managers, as well as residential home owners, to access incentive and recognition programs such as those offered by government, utilities and industry organizations.
The Energy Efficiency Branch within MEMPR supports education training, education programs and policies that build capacity for energy conservation and efficiency in British Columbia. While it is not a core mandate of the branch to design or manage training and education programs, the Branch acts in an advisory role for a variety of initiatives, offering expert input on curriculum and resource development and helping to link projects with funding sources.
In 2008, the Branch entered into a unique partnership with BC Hydro to produce a learning resource for senior high school students and teachers, with Terasen Gas and FortisBC providing funding and advisory support.
The partnership established the Branch as an information source for training and education initiatives in B.C., particularly those related to greening B.C.’s built environment.
Some highlights of the Sustainable Energy Learning Resource project partnership are:
- The learning resource is a collection of lesson plans and support materials for the Energy Module of the new Sustainable Resources 11 (SR 11) course.
- The SR 11 learning resource was piloted in the 2008/2009 school year and will be fully launched in Fall, 2009.
- The resource will provide lessons and activities focusing on a sustainable energy future for B.C. for approximately 20 hours of classroom time. It includes lessons on alternative energy, energy efficiency, maximizing the benefits of fossil fuels and career path opportunities for graduating students.
- The curriculum, or Integrated Resource Package (IRP), was created by the Ministry of Education and provides lessons that meet all of the Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the course curriculum.
- A future goal for the Branch is to see the SR 11 course and learning resource used to connect secondary students with opportunities to pursue dual credit courses at local post-secondary institutions and to liaise with local sustainable energy industry.
- Changes to the Utilities Commission Act and Demand Side Measures Regulation now require utilities to include education and training components in their DSM plans, which are revised and approved by the BC Utilities Commission.
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