The research report Re-Energise – Ngā Mahi A Māui, a workforce development strategy, offers a deep dive into Aotearoa New Zealand’s Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) talent shortage against a backdrop of rising electricity demand and a tight labour market.
The aim is to futureproof the ESI and help it – and its workers – fulfil their potential.
Its release this morning is an exciting milestone for Connexis, as well as for our employers and learners in the energy sector.
Connexis was instrumental in getting this research off the ground in 2020 and worked in partnership with industry to progress it. We handed the project over to Waihanga Ara Rau Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development last year and it is now complete.
Connexis Director Kaarin Gaukrodger says: “This review has emphasised the opportunity for the ESI to attract a new and different generation of young talented people with the skills that can make a real difference in creating, managing and future-proofing New Zealand’s electricity infrastructure.”
Re-Energise – Ngā Mahi A Māui identifies four strategic goals and thirteen actionable recommendations to support a thriving workforce that can facilitate New Zealand’s move towards a cleaner future.
Key points include:
- COVID-19, border restrictions, a shift in the Government’s immigration policies, increased recruitment competition against other industries like construction are compounding challenges with the talent pipeline.
- Māori, women and Gen-Z are the key to a clean energy future and significant mahi needs to be done to support recruitment and retention.
- The report compels the Electricity Supply Industry to unite and pursue change – collaboration is key to sustainable recruitment.
Mike Grumball, General Manager (GM) Assurance of Waihanga Ara Rau and former Connexis GM Learning Solutions, was involved in the research from the outset. He says he hopes the report will bring consistency to industry standards and learning outcomes.
“The report puts the spotlight on how fragmented the ESI industry is when it comes to career pathways. This makes it difficult for workers to move around within the industry, and hard to showcase ESI career paths to young people.”
Webinars will be held on 17 February and 3 March for those interested in learning more about the report or who would like to share their feedback. Registration for the 17 February webinar is open now on the EEA website.
Besides Waihanga Ara Rau and Connexis, the Re-Energise report’s industry partners include Orion, Transpower, Genesis, Powerco, Counties Energy, Connetics and the Electricity Engineers’ Association.
For more information, or to read the full report, visit the Re-Energise website.
