A pilot project is now up and running to help displaced Canadian oil and gas professionals transition into high-demand, high-growth digital technology jobs in Calgary.
The EDGE UP: Energy to Digital Growth Education and Upskilling Project is a $1.5 million, federally funded short-term skills development program for mid-career oil and gas professionals such as engineers and geoscientists. Through EDGE UP, students will be trained in information technology project management, data analytics or software development.
Senior geologist Ryan Morrison is one of about 50 participants — out of 500 applicants — to participate in this first round. He was nervous about essentially starting over as a software developer, but added he was also more than ready.
“The last time I was working full time was 2015,” he said.
Another participant, Lora Dunford, had full time work until October 2019. After the 20-year veteran chemical technologist was laid off, she knew it was time to start looking at another career.
“I’m tired of the instability,” she said. “It’s hard.”
“I was looking for something that was a lot more stable. Something that I can enjoy, do my work and not worry, ‘Oh is it going to be next week? Is it going to be next month? Am I still going to have a job?'”
Calgary Economic Development has heard these concerns from many former energy workers in the city and beyond. That’s why it’s leading the initiative from the Future Skills Centre, in collaboration with various partners including the University of Calgary, SAIT and Bow Valley College, among others.
Jeanette Sutherland is the director of the program. She told Global News the four-to-five month training program, which then evolves to a work-integrated learning program, is an important step to get unemployed energy workers working again — helping Calgary’s overall economic situation.
“The fastest we can get these individuals to work, the better our economy will be,” Sutherland said. “Because right now our biggest opportunity to retain and attract companies is by building this certain talent pool.”
Sutherland estimated there are 390 open positions in Calgary right now just for software developers alone. She said there are a number of openings for jobs in as agri-tech, financial tech, clean-tech, and creative-tech along with manufacturing and automation.
“So it’s really important that we have our Calgary workforce skilled up as much as possible.”
Sutherland said most of the program’s participants already have the necessary skills — they just need to be “topped up”.
Both Morrison and Dunford are eager to leave their past careers, and focus on the future.
“Could I have waited it out?” Morrison questioned. “I need to be doing something else. I can’t just sit back and wait for the industry to come back.”
While Dunford is optimistic a job will await her after she’s done.
“I see job prospects at the end of this,” she said. “I see industry growing. I’m hoping anyway.”
EDGE UP estimated 90 individuals will be trained by the end of the year-long pilot project — which will hopefully lead to 90 filled tech jobs in the city.
The program is now taking applications for the second cohort of the program.
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