Ontario Tech University and Humber Polytechnic support the Government of Canada’s release of Canada’s first Nuclear Energy Strategy, and its commitment to doubling the size of Canada’s nuclear workforce.

The strategy identifies a highly skilled workforce — developed through co-ordinated training, academic and experiential learning — as essential to expanding nuclear capacity at home and asserting Canada’s leadership in global markets. The scale of the challenge is significant: industry projections indicate that, beginning in 2030, close to 40,000 new workers will be needed across Canada’s nuclear sector to support new builds, refurbishments and the broader clean energy transition.

Meeting that demand requires talent across the entire pipeline, from the skilled tradespeople who build and maintain reactors to the engineers, scientists and technologists who design and operate them. It is exactly that breadth that led Ontario Tech and Humber to help form the Canadian Energy Workforce Consortium (CEWC) — a co-ordinated college and university partnership designed to align education and training across the full range of nuclear and clean energy careers, accelerate program development, and offer industry and government a single, streamlined point of access. In the coming months, the CEWC will expand to include institutions from eastern and western Canada, as well as industry partners.

The Consortium’s co-ordinated model directly reflects the strategy’s call to grow the nuclear workforce through partnership among academia, industry, utilities and government — work anchored in the heart of Durham Region’s nuclear cluster.

Quotes

“Ontario Tech University congratulates the Government of Canada on the release of Canada’s first Nuclear Energy Strategy and its commitment to doubling Canada’s nuclear workforce. As home to Canada’s first accredited undergraduate Nuclear Engineering program — and a hub for nuclear research, innovation and experiential learning in the heart of Durham Region’s nuclear cluster — Ontario Tech is ready to help deliver the highly skilled talent the strategy identifies as essential. We are proud to educate the engineers, scientists and leaders who will power Canada’s nuclear future and strengthen Canada’s position as a global leader in nuclear energy.”
- Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University

“The Government of Canada’s first Nuclear Energy Strategy is key to fully realizing the powerful advantage of our world-class energy sector. Humber Polytechnic is ready to contribute capacity-building expertise and help develop a specialized workforce to power the next generation. Humber’s industry-responsive approach, and comprehensive skilled trades programs prepare learners with the specialized skills and strengthen our country’s global leadership in innovative clean technology while building a more sustainable future.
- Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, President and CEO

Media contacts

Patricia Pickett
Communications Specialist
Ontario Tech University
905.809.1675
patricia.pickett@ontariotechu.ca

Chad Derrick
Media Relations and External Communications Specialist
Humber Polytechnic
416.729.8940
chad.derrick@humber.ca