Utility Workforce Summit: Skills, AI, and Generational Transition

Mass retirements, critical technical shortages, and the rising demands of digital operations are reshaping today’s utility workforce. This panel will share proven strategies for proactively closing skills gaps before they impact operations, from upskilling initiatives to strategic talent investments. Attendees will get insights into where utilities are focusing their resources and practical strategies to strengthen their own workforce transition plans.

With competition for talent fiercer than ever, utilities must go beyond traditional job postings and campus career fairs. This session explores innovative strategies to attract younger workers, including social media utilization, employer branding, and apprenticeship models.  Attendees will learn how to position their organizations as employers of choice while creating a culture that resonates with Gen Z and Millennials.

The clock is ticking as experienced employees retire, taking decades of institutional knowledge with them. This session offers actionable strategies for succession planning that go beyond naming replacements, focusing instead on knowledge capture, cross-training for critical roles, and building resilient teams. Participants will gain tools to safeguard operations while building confidence in the next generation of leaders.

Retention is strongest when employees can clearly see a future for themselves. This session details strategies for career pathways that keep employees engaged and motivated from day one. Attendees will discover practical models for designing and communicating career ladders that accelerate leadership development, reduce turnover, and build organizational loyalty.

Utilities can’t solve workforce challenges alone—collaboration is key. This session showcases how successful partnerships with equipment vendors, trade schools, and labor unions are building stronger pipelines of skilled workers. Attendees will learn how to leverage these external relationships to shorten training timelines, align skills with real-world utility needs, and create a steady flow of qualified talent.

As utilities invest in people, they must also prepare for workforce fluency in critical AI competencies, designing training programs for digital operations, and integrating new skill requirements into job pathways. Attendees will gain practical insights into:

• The most in-demand AI and grid-edge skills for utility teams
• Approaches to training, upskilling, and certification that accelerate adoption
• How to blend digital competencies with traditional utility expertise to build resilient, future-ready teams