Today's workforce in tomorrow's smart grid: Bridging the growing gaps

Abstract

Summary form only given. In the light of the ongoing activities related to the “smart grid”, the perception that today's utility workforce is woefully inadequate and not up to par has gained considerable bite. As the discussions around smart grid have evolved, the industry, espoused by the US-DOE, has reached a consensus and formally defined the requirements for tomorrow's smart grid. Yet, it is not clear what exactly is expected of tomorrow's workforce. Should there be an emphasis on power system engineering, communication technologies, green generation technologies, basic sciences, hardware, software, engineering management, or plain vanilla “soft” skills? Present trends in the industry including the aging asset base, aging workforce, integration of renewable and sustainable resources - all in the background of Smart Grid, make the discussions around what is expected of the future utility work force even more complicated. University faculty and industry personnel are trying to figure out the answers to the questions above and common themes are slowly emerging as there is no definitive consensus on the expected needs of the future utility workforce. Even so, the concept of holistic education and critical thinking seem to be recurring themes at all levels. Consensus about the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is another point of convergence. Implementation of ICT in various business processes and the effective breaking down of silos is an underlying theme in leveraging critical data out of which meaningful information, and knowledge, may be extracted to effect local change but with global consequences. This paper provides a critical view of the gaps that need to be bridged to transition today's utility workforce in the wake of tomorrow's anticipated smart grid needs. Advertised utility positions, such as Manager, Smart Grid and Technology Integration Strategy and Systems Engineer, Power Systems & Smart Grid will be examined in detail as a means to develop a better sense of understanding of what, and how, utilities are doing to bridge the perceived gaps in today's and tomorrow's utility workforce. Efforts at leading universities, technical schools and government agencies (such as CEWD and NSF) are described as well. Certificate programs and new course curricula addressing a more holistic approach are presented. Another important aspect of these efforts is the way in which these new courses are delivered as technology has changed the way in which workers may be trained, or retrained, using the concepts of on-line and long-distance learning programs. These “learn at your own pace” courses are gaining popularity along with more traditional time-bound courses delivered in a class-room setting as more and more people are being drawn towards a career in the “electric” energy business.