Hydropower/STEM/Strengthening the Industry
From Open Energy Information
< Hydropower | STEM
The hydropower industry stands at a pivotal moment, with opportunities to modernize and diversify its workforce to support its role in the global energy transition. Addressing key challenges in recruiting, retention, and industry awareness is essential to building a well-trained, resilient, and sustainable workforce.
By rethinking its approach to recruiting, retention, and public perception, the industry can unlock its full potential and inspire the next generation of talent.
Industry Challenges at a Glance
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted surveys of the U.S. hydropower industry in 2023. The purpose of these interviews was to develop a deeper understanding of industry challenges, best practices, and needs for:
- Recruiting
- Retention
- Training and certification
- Knowledge transfer and succession planning practices
- Industry perception.
The interviews engaged 39 people from 22 different companies, including:
- Equipment manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers
- System owner/operators
- Federal hydropower operators
- Power Marketing Administration system owner/operators
- Consulting firms
- Construction companies
- Nonprofit organizations.
NREL also polled 27 young professionals in the U.S. hydropower industry. These interviews found that the following areas are most critical to hydropower workforce growth:
Education System
Nearly 70% of U.S. universities surveyed do not offer hydropower-specific programs and coursework due to low student demand and lack of funding.
Impact on industry: Creates a cycle of students leaving the education system without hydropower knowledge and awareness and students not seeking careers in the industry.
Seventy-seven percent of industry respondents believe recent graduates entering the hydropower industry have limited knowledge of the industry, with 23% having no knowledge.
Impact on industry: A lack of job readiness for new student hires to join the hydropower workforce. As a result, industry organizations must focus on training and mentorship for new student hires to fill the gap.
Workforce Demographics
- Seventy-three percent of industry survey responses indicated that the hydropower industry has difficulty hiring women, minorities, Tribal members, and veterans due to limited interest from those groups and a low number of applicants.
- Impact on industry: A need to adopt different approaches to recruitment with an emphasis on increasing awareness of the industry to reach groups underrepresented in the workforce.
- Factors such as rural job locations, lack of industry awareness, use of traditional recruitment strategies, and educational gaps exacerbate this issue.
- Impact on industry: Limited representation of diverse communities in the workforce and, consequently, more limited skills, perspectives, and knowledge a diverse pool of applicants would provide.
Industry Awareness
- Many job seekers are unaware of the wide range of careers that hydropower offers beyond engineering, construction, and operations.
- Impact on industry: Difficulty in recruiting a qualified, diverse pool of candidates. There is a critical need for outreach and engagement with workers with a broader range of backgrounds to meet the industry’s workforce needs.
- The hydropower industry has a significant need for workers with transferable, nontechnical, and technical skills, from crafts and trades to project management, communications, and more.
- Impact on industry: Difficulty attracting qualified workers to the hydropower industry.
- Due to the lack of industry awareness and education, there are misperceptions about the hydropower industry and its role in the power system.
- Impact on industry: Misinformation and outdated data may create public opposition and impact workforce growth and technology advancements.
Explore how we’re tackling these challenges:
- Recruiting: Attracting a broader range of skilled talent through expanded outreach and engagement with schools.
- Retention: Building an inclusive workplace culture through long-term succession planning and employee development programs.
- Industry Awareness: Expanding public awareness of the hydropower industry through broader outreach and debunking hydropower industry misconceptions.