School of Clean Energy
Developing a Highly Skilled Workforce to Meet Canada's Energy Demands and Achieve Net-Zero Climate Action Goals
The transition to clean energy is an urgent priority, and we need a highly skilled workforce to meet this challenge.
Global electricity demand is surging due to AI, data centers, and electrification. Ontario must more than double its electricity generation by 2050 to keep pace.
Humber Polytechnic is ready to power a clean energy future with a highly skilled workforce in clean and renewable energy, smart grids, battery storage, and AI-driven energy optimization.
On the list of Canada's Greenest Employers for the 10th year in a row, Humber aims to be one of the first Canadian institutions to reach Net-Zero by 2029, setting a new standard for climate action and sustainability leadership.
Humber is addressing the clean energy skills gap with:
Specialized Programs
Humber is developing and launching new programs in clean energy and sustainability, including nuclear power operations, renewables, energy management, sustainable architectural design, smart grids, and AI-driven energy optimization. Our programs are developed and updated regularly in collaboration with Canadian and international industry partners and community organizations.
Pathways to Clean Energy careers
Humber has many programs that provide graduates with the knowledge and skills that are essential to the Clean Energy sector. We are building upon our strengths in the Skilled Trades, Engineering, and Information & Communications Technology and building pathway programs that enable graduates and working professionals to enter the clean energy workforce with job-ready skills. See our Explore Programs section below for details about existing programs and programs expected to be launched in 2025 and 2026.
Deeper Industry and Academic Partnerships
Recognizing that the need for skilled workers in the energy sector will require cooperation across industry, academia and government, Humber Polytechnic is partnering with institutions, associations, and industry in Canada and globally to ensure that we collaborate to meet these needs head-on. Applied research and capstone projects are informed by our industry and community partners and engage hundreds of students and industry partners annually.
Infrastructure and Learning Spaces
Humber’s campuses serve as living laboratories for clean energy innovation, featuring net-zero buildings, microgrid labs, and renewable energy installations.
- Project SWITCH will decrease our natural gas use by 70% at our North campus
- Building NX was the first Net-Zero certification for a building retrofit in Canada
- The SMART (Sustainable Microgrid And Renewable Technology) Lab, a high‑tech training and research facility focused on microgrids, renewables, and energy innovation.
Clean Energy Leadership at Humber
Humber is proud to be home to the National Applied Clean Energy Workforce Consortium, an initiative that brings together training institutions and associations to meet the clean energy workforce needs of Ontario and Canada, together.
With a focus on applied, job-ready training—particularly for the skilled trades and technical occupations essential to clean energy deployment, this Consortium is well positioned to make a meaningful difference in addressing and narrowing current and anticipated skills gaps.
The consortium will engage institutions across Canada with strong trades and technical programming, alongside other relevant stakeholders including trade unions, Indigenous partners, and international collaborators, to co-develop and deliver programming in:
- Nuclear operations and SMR support
- Skilled trades for clean energy infrastructure
- Cybersecurity and critical systems protection
- Smart maintenance, IoT-enabled systems, and equipment condition monitoring
- Artificial intelligence applications in energy (e.g., smart grids, automation, and diagnostics)
- Simulation and digital twin-enhanced training
The National Applied Clean Energy Workforce Consortium complements existing networks by focusing on TEER 2–level technical training, microcredentials, and regional workforce delivery models.
Our Collaborations
