New Industry-backed Research Report From Waihanga Ara Rau Will Help To Re-energise Electricity Supply Workforce

• Leading research report Re-Energise – Ngā Mahi A Māui, a workforce development strategy, offers a deep dive into Aotearoa New Zealand’s Electricity Supply Industry talent shortage against a backdrop of rising electricity demand and a tight labour market
• 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
• Report reveals 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
• Report compels Electricity Supply Industry to unite and pursue change – collaboration is key to sustainable recruitment.

With the de-carbonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s energy sector front and centre, unprecedented growth is on the horizon for the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) which is already hamstrung by a deficit of skilled tradespeople.

Future skills shortages include expertise needed on wind farms, smart grids and telecommunications; specialised knowledge of IT networks and software integration; and expertise on the deployment of smart/IoT devices in residential, commercial and industrial environments.

An industry-commissioned report, Re-Energise – Ngā Mahi A Māui, is kickstarting a compelling industry-led conversation about how to futureproof the ESI and help it – and its workers – fulfil their potential. Waihanga Ara Rau Workforce Development Council developed the report with national stakeholders Connexis, Orion, Transpower, Genesis, Powerco, Counties Energy, Connetics and the Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA) leading the conversation as key contributors.

Formed through collective insights, shared by industry experts, employees, trainers, leaders and school children imagining their future careers, the report’s intention is to highlight the unfiltered thoughts, perceptions and ambitions of both the current and future workforce.

The report also provides an opportunity for the industry to collaborate and engage a workforce that sees the sector as a sustainable purpose and a cause driven sector.

Re-Energise – Ngā Mahi A Māui thoughtfully identifies four strategic goals and thirteen actionable recommendations to support a thriving workforce that can facilitate New Zealand’s move towards a cleaner future.

The goals outlined in the report are to increase visibility to attract the right people; design for intuitive career pathways; build a resilient workforce; and partner with Māori. Instrumental to this will be raising the profile of ESI as an attractive career opportunity; highlighting careers and pathways; supporting a diversity of genders and cultures; and inspiring Māori to enter the industry and thrive within it, among many other factors.

Rob Heyes, Senior Economist at Infometrics, said: “A total of 88% of ESI workers already work 40 or more hours per week, compared to 62% across the whole economy. Add to this an aging workforce with 25% of ESI employees aged 55+, and women comprising fewer than 10% of technical employees, it becomes clear that systematic changes are urgently needed in the way the industry attracts, trains and retains people.”

Mike Grumball, General Manager Assurance of Waihanga Ara Rau, said: “The report puts the spotlight on how fragmented the ESI industry is when it comes to career pathways. There are inconsistencies in the training methods, standards and competencies across the industry. This makes it difficult for workers to move around within the industry, and hard to showcase ESI career paths to young people. The work of Waihanga Ara Rau will bring consistency to industry standards and learning outcomes - making sure they are applied across the country, and across all modes of learning. This means learners will attain the right skills and employers will have access to the right people.”

Peter Berry, CEO of the Electricity Engineers’ Association, said: “There has never been a better time to be a part of the Electricity Supply Industry. Electricity is front and centre of meeting climate change outcomes. The challenges are significant and exciting as we bring together smart grids, customer data, renewable energy generation and mainstream new technologies. To date, the ESI has largely been invisible – until the lights go out! Now electricity is going to lead New Zealand decarbonisation, so we are offering a climate-conscious generation a challenging and diverse future that allows them to lead and live their values.”

Kaarin Gaukrodger, the Divisional Director of Connexis, said: “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.”

For more information, or to download the entire report, go to https://www.reenergise.nz/

Join webinars to discuss the report – visit https://www.eea.co.nz/tools/events/list.aspx?SECT=upcoming-eea-events for more details.

Visit Waihanga Ara Rau at www.waihanga.nz

Waihanga Ara Rau is one of six Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) – industry-led, government enabled bodies that are a key part of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE).

• The Re-Energise - Ngā Mahi a Māui Workforce Development Strategy was funded by the Tertiary Education Commission.
• The report was informed by seventy interviews conducted across the country with industry insiders, employees, trainers, leaders and young people imagining their future careers. A substantial proportion of those interviewed were Māori.

Report Contributors:

• Tokona Te Raki - Rangatahi Māori Research and Strategy
• Infometrics - Quantitative Research
• Assurity Consulting - Qualitative Research and Strategy

Industry Partners:

Connexis, Orion, Transpower, Genesis, Powerco, Counties Energy, Connetics and the Electricity Engineers’ Association.

Additional statistics that highlight the scale of the workforce challenge include:

• Currently, women represent fewer than 10% of the ESI technical workforce
• 25% of the current workforce is aged 55+
• 88% of ES sector already work 40 hours per week leaving little room for increased capacity within the existing workforce
• It takes 3 – 5 years to develop new workforce technical skills

Alongside these facts, the report highlights other forces working against the industry including:

• Few options to bring in overseas workers, with immigration decreasing from 4% of visa approvals in 2017 to zero today. The Government is also indicating it will take a “high skills / low volume” approach to immigration when borders eventually reopen.
• Electricity generation is proposed to grow from 43 Twh in 2020 to 52 Twh in 2035.
• Over $10b of ES capital improvements and new large-scale projects are already planned for the next decade.
• 43% of businesses reported that finding skilled workers had become harder.
• Low domestic unemployment, which is hovering between 4-4.5%.
• Competition from the construction sector, which is predicted to see strong growth for the next 3 to 5 years.

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