A recent study from the Center for Energy Workforce Development shows the electric utility industry is in the midst of a “skills and people shortage,” brought on by a steady stream of senior leaders reaching retirement age, an evolution in the industry toward more advanced technologies that’s making it more difficult to find qualified employees and a marked increase across the sector in non-retirement turnover.
Many electric cooperatives have the additional challenge of needing to attract new employees to rural and remote locations. It’s a trend that’s driving a critical question: Who will become the CEOs and senior managers that lead America’s electric co-ops into the future?
As always, cooperatives are responding with unique, creative initiatives on succession planning and employee development that leverage the qualities that make co-ops nimble, proactive and resilient. To talk about these efforts, we’ll hear from Delaine Orendorff, NRECA’s director of human capital planning and compensation, and Clay Fitch, CEO of Wells Rural Electric in Nevada, where they’ve implemented an ingenious way of identifying and preparing future leaders.
Listen to the episode below:
You can also listen and subscribe to Along Those Lines on your preferred podcast service:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube
Find out more about NRECA’s podcast. Questions or suggestions? Email us at AlongThoseLines@nreca.coop.