Investing in young talent and future leaders, Hydro Ottawa earns ‘Top Employer’ recognition
January 21, 2025
OTTAWA – Today, in recognition of the importance Hydro Ottawa places on skill development and education for its young workforce, the company earned a spot on Canada’s Top Employers for Young People list for the 10th time.
With the transition to electrification, digitization and its ambitious goal to achieve net-zero operations by 2030, the company is embracing new technologies and innovation, and is attracting young professionals excited about the electricity industry, renewable energy, sustainability and the environment.
In addition to scholarships and tuition subsidies for professional accreditations, the company offers a large digital learning platform for all employees and virtual reality training scenarios for its trades and apprentices. Mentoring on the job is another important value the company encourages.
The utility offers exciting careers and programs designed to ensure young workers can make meaningful contributions to the organization and community early in their careers.
Quick Facts
- Hydro Ottawa’s talent attraction strategy has succeeded in attracting young talent, with nearly 40 per cent of employees aged 35 and under.
- Apprentices represent nearly 24 per cent of Hydro Ottawa’s trades workforce.
- The company offers paid in-house apprenticeship and engineering intern programs, and provides employment opportunities for post-secondary summer students as well as internships and co-op placements.
- The company’s jointly delivered Powerline Technician Diploma Program was recently included in Algonquin College’s We Saved You a Seat program to encourage more female students to join careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
- In 2018, Hydro Ottawa established the Hydro Ottawa Award, which is a $2,500 scholarship given to a first-year female student in the Powerline Technician Diploma Program at Algonquin College.
- Hydro Ottawa established an external partnership with Carleton University’s Women in Engineering and IT Program to increase gender equity in trades, technical, engineering and leadership roles.
Quotes
“At Hydro Ottawa, we’re empowering a young and talented workforce ready to build and lead the future of energy. We offer exciting careers and the opportunity to tackle big challenges to spearhead innovative, sustainable solutions for our industry, our environment, and our planet.”
-Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer
Media contact:
Susan Fekete
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
[email protected]
About Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose core businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, energy solutions, telecommunications and utility services. As a leading partner in a smart energy future, Hydro Ottawa is committed to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment in all aspects of its operations. It owns and operates four primary subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited – a local distribution company that delivers electricity to more than 364,000 customers in the city of Ottawa and the village of Casselman; Portage Power – the largest Ontario-based municipally-owned producer of green power with 131 megawatts of installed green generation capacity (enough to power 110,000 homes); Envari – an energy solutions company offering products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various local distribution companies; and Hiboo Networks – a high-speed fiber optic network solutions and internet service company providing customers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region with secure and scalable connectivity to enable a strong digital future.