Abstract :
Summary form only given, as follows. The viability of the electrical infrastructure, and ultimately the economic outlook of the power industry as a whole, could be in jeopardy due to the declining availability of relevant expertise. Many factors have led to the ever increasing scarcity of technical skills, specifically those related to the design, engineer, and operations of power systems. In most power related companies, the average age of employees is steadily increasing with a large percentage of employees eligible for retirement in the next five years. Utilities and power users alike have reduced staff to meet short-term earnings goals resulting in fewer positions for new hires, early exiting of seasoned talent, and more work for those retained. Meanwhile, building and maintaining the electrical infrastructure has become more challenging due to increased loads and the utilization of sophisticated software for modeling, control systems, and automation. Incoming talent to replenish the power industry workforce is at risk. Some universities have experienced a decline in enrollment for power related courses which has negatively impacted the availability of power curriculums. Furthermore, demographic trends depict the industry as male dominated resulting in the lack of non-traditional role models for women and minorities thus reducing the pool of available entrants and the attractiveness of pursuing a career in the power industry. The availability of talent in the power industry is greatly influenced by various factors. This presentation utilizes information collected from surveys to summarize the technical talent challenge for the power industry and includes recommendations for next steps to proactively address the situation.
