Several factors are converging simultaneously to create a "perfect storm" in today's utility workforce: the mass exodus of utility employees that is anticipated due to retirement in the next 10 years, the increasing diversity in the current workforce, fewer U.S. college graduates earning science or technical degrees, and values differences in younger generations of employees entering the labor market. A shift in approach to utility operations is required in order to be prepared for this pending labor crisis.
The objectives of this project were to identify (1) future labor pools for engineer and operator positions; (2) utilities' short and long term needs for operators and engineers; (3) "attractors" that will draw the younger generations to utilities as a highly desired place of employment; (4) recruiting, training, and retention methods that have elicited successful results in other industries and guidelines for applying those strategies in the utility industry; (5) recommendations for improvements in training and certification programs; and (6) elements of utility culture that will build an organization's reputation as an employer of choice to multiple generations of employees.
Primary research consisted of a survey of utilities that identified the current state of the industry in terms of success of recruiting, training, and retaining operators and engineers. Also, interaction with students and young professionals took place, first in a "reverse career fair" conducted at ACE and WEFTEC that involved completion of an online survey that assessed important job factors for the GEN Y population and then in focus groups also conducted at ACE and WEFTEC. Secondary research was conducted that included identifying successful recruitment and retention strategies from other industries and completing a demographic analysis on new and existing pools of potential workers as well as channels to reach those pools. The results of the research were then compiled into industry-wide and utility specific strategies for recruiting and retaining engineers and operators.
- ISBN10 1843392496
- ISBN13 9781843392491
- Publish Date 19 April 2009
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 7 July 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint IWA Publishing
- Format eBook
- Pages 224
- Language English