In 2020 Young Pipeliners officially became a coast-to-coast Canadian network with the addition of our Atlantic Canada Chapter! As we moved into an all-virtual approach, technology enabled us to effectively deliver value across the country and to bring together members from multiple provinces to share their learnings. The Young Pipeliners mentorship program, which kicked off last year, is a clear demonstration of how the organization is enabling resilient and meaningful networks Canada wide using a virtual environment. We also expanded our international presence by strengthening our commitment to Young Pipeliners International (YPI) at the International Pipeline Conference and at YPI’s first ever event which brought together representatives from across the world in a discussion about natural gas. Membership growth continued and 2100 young pipeliners are now part of the community.
From a knowledge transfer perspective, 2020 was incredibly fruitful. We were able to host 30 chapter events with attendance open to members across the country. In addition, we launched the YPAC x Avatar program – which was a resounding success and which delivered an immersive and profound experience for participants.
“The YPAC x Avatar Program which ran this summer truly changed the industry. 54 of your peers undertook an 8 week learning journey supported by the University of Calgary and some of the industry’s most senior leaders – not just to listen and learn – but also to solve some of the most pressing energy challenges our industry faces. The national press took notice. Squabbling politicians united. And the C-suites of our industry jumped in. The work of the first 54 participants of the YPAC x Avatar Program delivered 9 transformational visions for the future of energy. After the world heard them, they became unstoppable. 5 of these ideas and technology are now in some stage of implementation– with real capital, real impact and real change.”
Kevin Krausert
CEO & Co-Founder of Avatar Innovations
Young Pipeliners continued to deliver excellent opportunities for personal and professional development. Key highlights include enabling Avatar participants to engage one-one with energy ministers, collaborating with the Canadian Gas Association on their virtual conference, and creating the Canadian Standards Association Z662 volunteer program for code review. Throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our partnerships with ASME Pipeline System Division, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA), CEPA Foundation, Pipeline Research Council International, and other industry organizations.
We believe that it will be impossible to attract and retain talent unless young pipeliners have a vision of the future of the pipeline industry which addresses Climate Change, Indigenous Reconciliation, Diversity and Inclusion, and Innovation. 2020 was a year which challenged YPAC to think differently about how we integrate these key tenets into our strategy. At the close of the year we provided an update to our panel of industry advisors, and outlined our vision of the future: you can review the slides here.
“A few months ago, YPAC began their journey toward Indigenous Reconciliation. Not only did we make reconciliation one of our core values, but the leadership team demonstrated from the very beginning our commitment to drive this value throughout the organization, through the formation of an Indigenous Inclusion Committee (IIC). The committee decided at the time that a good place to start our journey was through knowledge building.”
Kaella Earle
YPAC Indigenous Inclusion Co-Chair
As we move into 2021, YPAC looks to expand upon our work with Indigenous Reconciliation and the other tenets of the vision of the future. It is with great excitement and hope that we launch into this new year. There will be more events, more network building, more opportunities to develop, and more ways to impact the future of the pipeline industry!
Kicking things off in 2021, we have our annual general meeting on February 3. All Young Pipeliners members, volunteers, and stakeholders are invited to attend. Follow the event link to register today!
https://ypacanada.com/events/2021-young-pipeliners-agm/
To enable our 2021 goals, we’re also excited to announce that we are recruiting for Deputy President, Vancouver Chapter Chair, and YPAC General volunteers!
If you’re interested, check out the enclosed link to apply!
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=bOPOsFwiSE-2C5IfREtWmBRS8WTh2sNKhSMQvdOGpppUMFc0UDc0VkhYRTBVQzVIUTlFSlZJM1hTNC4u