While Canada's clean energy sector is expected to grow in the coming years, the workforce remains persistently inequitable (Unsplash/Pramod Tiwari)Canada’s transition to a low-carbon energy system is creating one of the fastest-growing labour markets in the country. Yet despite strong job growth projections, a predicted workforce shortfall looms in a sector where salaries often surpass average earnings.One reason is that the clean energy workforce remains persistently inequitable. Women and other equity-seeking groups are underrepresented, while worker shortages in engineering, trades and digital innovation constrain the sector’s growth.Our recently published study took a deeper dive into the lived experiences of gender-diverse students in trade school, college, university and micro-credential courses who want to work in the energy sector.We analyzed 119 applications to a grant program run by the Trellis Fund for students who self-identify as women, non-binary or LGBTQ+ and are studying to play a role in the clean energy transition. The Trellis Fund is an organization aimed at improving equity, diversity and inclusion in the renewable energy and infrastructure sector. The grant program’s application included open-ended questions that enabled applicants to reflect on their motivations, career goals, anticipated barriers and their intended use of the bursary.By learning from the lived experiences of qualified applicants who wish to be the next generation of clean energy professionals, Canada can build not only a larger low-carbon energy workforce, but a more just, representative and resilient one.Why do this research? Women and other equity-seeking groups continue to be under-represented, particularly in technical, leadership and decision-making roles. (Unsplash/ThisisEngineering) The number of jobs in the electricity and renewable energy sectors is growing. Under a net-zero scenario, Canada’s low-carbon energy workforce is projected to grow from 500,000 in 2025 to 2.7 million by 2050. However, a workforce shortage is predicted, with close to 28,000 new employees needed between 2023 and 2028.Many people who want these jobs are being left out. Women and other equity-seeking groups — including Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, newcomers to Canada, young people and LGBTQ+ individuals — continue to be under-represented, particularly in technical, leadership and decision-making roles.Four things we learnedWe worked with researchers at the Re-imagining Social Energy Transitions (ReSET) Colaboratory at the University of Victoria to understand applicants’ aspirations, the challenges they face and the opportunities they see in the clean energy industry.Recognition and support create opportunity.Applicants consistently identified financial precarity (tuition, living expenses, unpaid labour), credential recognition barriers, exclusionary workplace cultures and inflexible training and employment pathways as primary obstacles. These barriers were compounded for applicants with intersecting identities, particularly Indigenous, racialized and LGBTQ+ people, newcomers and those under 25.Applicants emphasized that even modest, flexible financial support would make a difference. It would enable them to stay in education and invest in leadership and professional development. Equity is a powerful career motivator.Applicants told us that the hiring practices in the low-carbon energy industry often privilege workers with existing networks, credentials and resources while systematically excluding equity-deserving groups. They recognized the hiring discrepancies in the energy sector and were highly motivated by justice-oriented values.Rather than viewing low-carbon energy careers as purely economic opportunities, applicants framed their aspirations around climate responsibility, equity, community well-being, representation and the accountability to address climate change impacts for current and future generations.Many explicitly linked their career goals to correcting historical exclusions and ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition are distributed fairly. Applicants framed their aspirations around climate responsibility, equity, community well-being, representation and the accountability to address climate change. (Unsplash/ThisisEngineering) Career pathways are broader than technical roles.Applicants’ career aspirations extended beyond narrow technical roles. Over half of applicants were pursuing STEM or technical programs. However, many envisioned hybrid pathways that integrate engineering and science with governance, policy, community engagement, research, entrepreneurship and mentorship.Community matters.Our findings demonstrate that equity-seeking groups are not disengaged from Canada’s low-carbon energy transition; they are actively seeking to lead it. But barriers exist. These kinds of programs function as an infrastructure of care. They provide recognition, validation, and access to networks — elements often absent from conventional scholarships and workforce programs.Building the workforce Canada needsA successful low-carbon energy transition requires more than technology. It requires reforms towards a more inclusive workforce that spread opportunity and embed care as a structural principle. Without these reforms, the sector risks reproducing historical inequities — undermining both its social legitimacy and labour-force resilience.Grants like the one we examine illustrate how a grassroots, women-led intervention that is small-scale and justice-oriented can have an impact by enabling participation and leadership among those historically excluded.By learning from these lived experiences, Canada can build not only a larger low-carbon energy workforce, but a more just, representative and resilient one.This work was supported by the New Frontiers in Research Fund Global NFRFG-2020-00339 and the Canada Research Chair Secretariat CRC-2020-00055. Rebecca Black is Founder and Chair of the Trellis Fund.