Dive Brief:
- The smart grid sector expects to see a 9% increase in hiring activity in 2013 over the previous year, according to A. Cullen & Associates’ and Zpryme’s Smart Grid Hiring Trends report. The report surveyed 115 smart grid hiring managers.
- A "less-than-robust" talent pool, "unfavorable" immigration policies, and salaries staying "relatively flat" are among the leading issues faced by industry hiring managers, the report said.
- Replacing older workers is a massive challenge for the industry, as the survey reported an expected attrition rate of power industry engineers around 50% over the next five years.
Dive Insight:
Two of electric utilities' biggest challenges are old infrastructure and an aging workforce, according to Utility Dive's State of the Electric Utility report for 2014. The transition to a "smarter" grid is an opportunity for utilities to attract younger talent for previously non-existent roles. This will be an important issue to watch as older generations of utility workers go into retirement.