Career Track 1: Entrepreneurship
A day in the life video
The Entrepreneurship Career Track encompasses opportunities for youth to forge their own path separate from an employer. This track will explore entrepreneurial opportunities in the energy space as well as the skills and training needed to become established as a business owner or self-employed individual.
Job profiles:
- Community Energy Liaison
- Energy Consultant
- Business Owner
- The Indigenous business community as a whole is more than 50,000 strong, with approximately 12% considered to be major, community-owned businesses.
- Indigenous Peoples are generating new businesses at nine times the Canadian average.
Source: The 2020 Ontario Aboriginal Business Survey
Job Profiles
Job Profile 1
Community Energy Liaison
Job description - Community Energy Liaisons are motivated to help their community achieve energy goals by coordinating energy-related initiatives for the benefit of the community. Community Energy Liaisons lead energy planning and conservation activities within the community context to reduce energy consumption and identify the potential for community-scale renewable energy projects.
Median income: $39.90/Hour
Alternative job titles
- Community Energy Champion
- Sustainability Champion
by 2029
- Have a keen interest in becoming a Clean Energy Champion in their community.
- Experience working with clean energy at the community level is desirable, but a willingness and interest to learn about clean energy initiatives may also be considered.
- Experience conducting community outreach and coordination is usually required.
- Previous experience with data collection and analysis is usually required.
- Experience in grant, proposal, and report writing.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills to identify the root cause of disputes and solve problems.
- Leadership and organization skills to lead clean energy projects and initiatives in the community.
- Effective communication skills to build good relationships with everyone involved in the project and present relevant information to various audiences.
- Effective coordination and time management skills to complete the project within the estimated time and without going over the predetermined budget.
- Ability to administer and coordinate energy-related programs and initiatives effectively.
- Ability to address key project issues as well as make recommendations to the involved parties.
- Lead energy planning and energy conservation activities.
- Trailblaze the development of community-scale clean energy projects.
- Operate as an important education and energy conservation asset for the community.
- Build supportive working relationships between community members and potential partners.
- Administer energy-related programs and initiatives.
- Manage and develop project proposals, project planning, and budgeting for energy-related initiatives in the community.
Training Opportunities
There are some programs in Canada that provide training opportunities in trades for Indigenous people:
Cambium Indigenous Professional Services
Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship program
Indigenous entrepreneurship: ideaconnector.net: National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Ecosystem
Certified Indigenous Leader courses
Effective Leadership – 1 Day Workshop
The Politics of Ethical Decision Making for Elected Indigenous Leaders – 2 Day Workshop
Demystifying Finance for Elected Indigenous Leaders – 1 Day Workshop
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.05
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/occupation/3850/ca
Eco Canada. (2016, August.) Competencies for Environmental Professionals in Canada. https://www.eco.ca/research/report/nos-environmental-employment/
Job Profile 2
Energy Consultant
Job description – The Energy Consultant is an enthusiastic, driven and knowledgeable person with a background in energy or engineering. The energy consultant advises clients, companies, or small organizations to address issues that can range from energy savings practices to studying the feasibility of clean energy projects. The Energy Consultant may work with the company’s internal team to develop an effective energy management plan based on the company’s current usage and practices. Energy Consultants are normally employed by government departments, consulting firms, environmental and conservation organizations, or they may be self-employed.
Median income: $39.90/Hour
Alternative job titles
- Sustainability Specialist
- Sustainability Consultant
- Energy and Sustainability Advisor
by 2029
- A 4-year bachelor's degree in a related discipline may be required.
- Extensive and proven knowledge of the clean energy industry.
- A combination of education, knowledge and work-related experience is usually required.
- Proven experience working and collaborating in a multi-stakeholder environment is usually required.
- Strong knowledge of environmental management practices and the associated legislation and regulations.
- Effective communication skills to convey necessary information among various project stakeholders.
- Strong organizational and attention to detail skills to analyze and synthesize pertinent business information and propose viable solutions.
- Analytical skills to evaluate and develop sustainable initiatives within the company.
- Leadership skills to hold meetings with senior management to discuss the development of the company and the clean energy related initiatives taken.
- Ability to operate successfully in a constantly changing, fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work with and deliver key messages to a variety of audiences.
- Improve energy efficiency by introducing activities aimed at using renewable energy sources or mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
- Plan sustainability-related project strategies with internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide advice on energy consumption and best industry practices.
- Help owners and clients set sustainability objectives, and work with other professionals to develop pertinent strategies.
- Monitor indicators of environmental sustainability, including energy usage, natural resource usage, materials selection, waste generation and disposal, and recycling rates.
- Evaluate the proposed initiatives with an eye to cost-benefit, technical feasibility, and acceptance.
Training Opportunities
There are some programs in Canada that provide training opportunities in trades for Indigenous people:
O*Net https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.05
Eco Canada. (2016, August.) Competencies for Environmental Professionals in Canada. https://www.eco.ca/research/report/nos-environmental-employment/
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/3850/ca
Job Profile 3
Business Owner
Job description - Clean energy Business Owners have strong knowledge and background in the clean energy field, combined with solid experience in business models. They are typically visionary people, with a high aptitude for entrepreneurship and a keen sense of business and financial plans. Clean energy entrepreneurs have innovative ideas in the market and cover a niche that is expanding in a booming sector.
by 2029
There are no specific requirements for business owners/entrepreneurs, though it is beneficial to have a good technical and practical knowledge of the area in which the business is going to operate.
The skills of each business owner/entrepreneur vary according to the area of business. However, some skills are commonly found among entrepreneurs:
- Good leadership and time-management skills.
- Good decision-making skills.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong Strategic Planning skills.
- Finance and Accounting skills.
- Negotiation skills.
- General Management skills.
- Hire personnel, define tasks, develop and/or provide training, and prepare work schedules.
- Supervise and manage activities associated with the company's products and services, such as marketing, distribution, and sales.
- Analyze the company's financial situation to determine means of increasing profits and reducing expenses.
- Assess the overall situation of the company and determine the future direction of the business.
Training Opportunities
There are some programs in Canada that provide training opportunities in trades for Indigenous people:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.05
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/occupation/3850/ca
Eco Canada. (2016, August.) Competencies for Environmental Professionals in Canada. https://www.eco.ca/research/report/nos-environmental-employment/