Through interviews with students, educators, and industry members, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified industry awareness and perception as significant barriers to building the hydropower workforce.
Despite its importance to the electric grid and renewable energy production, hydropower is often overshadowed by more visible renewable energy sources. Limited awareness of hydropower careers and hydropower’s role in the electric grid, as well as limited visibility of the industry, which is often situated in rural locations, are barriers for the industry.
Those unfamiliar with hydropower may have inaccurate or outdated information of the industry, leading to misperceptions, including its environmental and social impacts, energy potential, and infrastructure.
The lack of awareness and misperceptions can impact the industry’s ability to attract and retain workers. Results from interviews with U.S. hydropower industry members suggest that when people gain more knowledge and exposure to hydropower, their perceptions often change.
Hands on demonstration of kinetic energy for children
Solutions
By broadening its outreach, the hydropower industry can strengthen its workforce through increased visibility and awareness.
Addressing Education System Gaps
Increasing the visibility and understanding of the hydropower industry, its jobs, and its role in clean energy generation can help change how potential workers view the sector and can help the industry attract and retain more qualified workers.
Strategies to help raise awareness and representation of hydropower in the U.S. education system may include:
- Encouraging current hydropower employees to attend school career days to share about their work, serve as guest speakers, provide facility tours, and engage in capstone projects
- Creating engaging and accessible educational content about hydropower facilities
- Sharing educational and training materials with educators, students, and the general public to raise industry awareness
- Sponsoring internships and apprenticeships to support hands-on learning experiences
- Participating in career panels and mentorship programs to raise early awareness and interest in the hydropower industry
- Engaging with local job training programs and attending local career fairs to raise awareness and reach potential candidates in the region.
Broadening Outreach
Beyond the education system, there are opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of hydropower. By providing credible information and broadening outreach efforts, the hydropower industry can improve its visibility and potential interest to a wider range of job seekers.
Strategies to help expand hydropower industry outreach could include:
- Leveraging social media and recruiting influencers to engage with different audiences and encourage them to learn more about the hydropower industry and its jobs
- Encouraging staff to share about their work on social media and at outreach events and providing guidance and examples for staff on how to do this
- Partnering with organizations active in the hydropower industry to amplify outreach and create advocacy campaigns to expand the impact and visibility of these efforts
- Partnering with professional societies such as Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and others to expand outreach to minority groups and raise awareness of hydropower careers
- Increasing outreach to and recruitment from veteran groups
- Creating hands-on competitions for students and/or community members.
Strengthening Community Engagement
Building stronger connections with local communities can be helpful in fostering awareness of the hydropower industry and attracting potential workers. This can be achieved by:
- Partnering with community-based organizations and developing projects that directly engage with and benefit the community.
- Working with community-based organizations supporting job placement for underrepresented groups to help build greater diversity within the hydropower industry.
- Fostering community engagement by offering facility tours, developing projects that benefit the community, and hosting public forums to create awareness.
Outreach Resources
Career Profiles
Day-in-the-life professional profiles and case studies to help energize students and job seekers around a hydro-powered future.
National Hydropower Association
This association has various campaigns that help expand and refine messaging about the hydropower industry, among other efforts.
Northwest Hydroelectric Association
An association that provides resources to hydropower stakeholders and offers a Hydropower Ambassadors program to encourage industry to engage with incoming workforce, among other efforts.