TradeUp for Success goes national

The career awareness program TradeUp for Success, promoting trades in the electricity sector to youth in Ontario, will now go national as the Electricity Sector Council takes over the Ontario program initiated by the Power Workers' Union, Hydro One, Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation.

Building on the TradeUp for Success model created by the Power Workers' Union, these industry partners collaborated on the development, production and distribution of an educational package to help convey the very important message that careers in the trades in the electricity and renewable energy sector are rewarding, highly technical, cool choices for the youth of the future.

"The Power Workers' Union is proud to grant the Electricity Sector Council the license to expand TradeUp for Success to a national scope," said Don MacKinnon, President, Power Workers' Union. "To date we have shared our message with more than 500,000 parents, teachers, guidance councilors, government officials and students all over Ontario. We wish the Electricity Sector Council every success in expanding TradeUp for Success, and the PWU will continue to support the program in the future."

"The Electricity Sector Council is honoured to take over TradeUp for Success and build on the strong foundation of success achieved by its founders," said Tom Goldie, Chair, Board of Directors, Electricity Sector Council and Senior Vice-President, Corporate, Hydro One. "Canada is facing a potential crisis, a shortage in skilled labour - TradeUp for Success will raise awareness in youth across the country of the many different, challenging and rewarding career options the electricity sector has to offer."

"TradeUp has been a success because it involves industry volunteers, who are tradespeople currently working in the electricity sector," said Debra Carey, Communications Officer, Power Workers' Union. "They share their work experiences in a face to face forum speaking directly to students and teachers by attending career days and job fairs in high schools across Ontario."

TradeUp for Success rolled out on April 19th, 2002. The TradeUp education package (launched in 2006) is a comprehensive resource for students, teachers and parents. The materials in the package were designed for use in the schools, and in particular to complement the Grade 10 Career studies curriculum.

"As the Electricity Sector Council takes ownership of TradeUp, we will be looking to industry and provincial partnerships to help implement the program nationally," said Catherine Cottingham, Executive Director & CEO, Electricity Sector Council. "We are grateful for the industry's tremendous demonstration of support by granting the Electricity Sector Council responsibility for the continuation of TradeUp, and we look forward to future opportunities to collaborate."

The Electricity Sector Council (ESC) is the hub for research into human resources trends and sector-specific solutions to Canada's skilled-labour shortage. The ESC was founded in 2005 as a not-for-profit partnership between business, labour, education and government. Its mandate is to address the need-demonstrated in an exhaustive report commissioned in 2004 by the Canadian Electricity Association and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)-for sector-wide recruitment and retention strategies.