Workforce Supply – Syncrude takes an active approach to shaping our own future and maximizing the potential of our people and operations. We work to generate awareness of oil sands industry careers, and we utilize a multi-faceted workforce strategy to build our prospective talent pool through education, training, and other programs. To minimize attrition and maximize employee retention we regularly review, evaluate and introduce policies and programs designed to make and keep Syncrude a great place to work.

To help ensure we attracted highly skilled employees to our operations we took a broad approach to employee recruitment efforts throughout 2006. Career fairs and open houses were held across Alberta and in targeted communities across Canada, helping us reach areas with the highest potential for new employees.

The Complexion of Our People – New employees as a percentage of Syncrude’s total workforce have nearly doubled over the last five years to 16 per cent in 2006, reflecting higher rates of both attrition and production, and strongly suggesting that our recruitment initiatives are having continued good effect. A record number of job applications were received, and the acceptance rate of job offers continues to be strong.

In focus group surveys conducted in 2006, new employees say they were attracted to Syncrude mainly because of job security, career and learning initiatives, and the ability to achieve a better work-life balance when compared to working for others. Pay scales were a significant draw, as well.

The same survey revealed that long service employees express affection for the challenges of their work at Syncrude, for job security and the family environment, for shift work, and for the people they work with.

Diversity is not only a goal but also an attribute of the Syncrude work environment that is respected and valued by employees. New hires of Aboriginal people remain strong, and we had considerable success attracting new female employees in 2006. Employment in leadership positions increased for both groups.

Workforce Renewal: Starting Young – Encouraging young people to acquire the skills they will need to succeed at Syncrude has long been an essential tenet of our employee development and recruitment efforts. As an acknowledged leader in these efforts, we actively support more than 170 programs and opportunities that prepare youth for future employment. Among them:

• CAREERS: The Next Generation. Syncrude is a founder, long-time participant in and advocate of CAREERS, and we continued our support of the initiative by providing funding of $260,000 over two years ending in 2006. CAREERS helps students across Alberta learn about, train for, and acquire careers in a wide variety of professions and trades.
• Take Our Kids to Work. Syncrude starts building career pathways in Grade 9 by offering students the chance to spend a full day shadowing their parents at their jobs at Syncrude.
• Co-op/Discipline Programs. We participate in 17 of these programs including the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which provides opportunities for apprentices at Syncrude. At any given time, we typically host more than 80 apprentices on site in a wide variety of trades: boilermakers, crane operators, electricians, power engineers, and many others.

Many of our younger employees come from the pool of students who participate in different Syncrude work-study programs. Those who progress to full-time employment join Syncrude’s Graduate Development Program (GDP) for up to four years. During that time, they receive targeted training, mentorship, and job rotations that expose them to a variety of career options. Success is reflected in the fact that more than 90 per cent of our hires under age 25 are promoted to higher levels in the organization. A survey of GDP participants was conducted in 2006 to help assess the program’s effectiveness; it revealed some inconsistencies in program application that are now being addressed.

Attracting Employees – A new marketing tool, Syncrude magazine, was published in 2006. It is used by Syncrude recruiters at career fairs and other venues to communicate information about living in Wood Buffalo and the advantages of a Syncrude career to potential recruits and their families in locales across Canada. Syncrude magazine introduces the company, profiles families who have found a happy home and rewarding career in Wood Buffalo, and documents the modern amenities and recreational attractions of life in northern Alberta.

Another tool, the second edition of Pure Energy magazine, was also published in 2006. It provides comprehensive coverage of the Syncrude operation and its people, focusing on the 2006 completion of the upgrader expansion project.

Workforce Productivity – Syncrude recognizes that productivity is a multi-faceted issue and that worker commitment to the job often reflects the attitude toward the organization itself. In this light, we believe we can most effectively achieve our business goals by treating our employees with dignity and respect, by being open and honest in all our relationships, by rewarding innovative thinking and excellent action, by encouraging and listening to feedback, and generally by remaining true to our vision, values, and guiding principles as an organization.

Financial Planning Workshops Resp ond to Employee Feedback – One of the concerns employees identified in a previous survey was a lack of assistance with financial planning for retirement. In 2006, Syncrude sponsored a series of workshops on the subject for employees and their spouses. The workshops, hosted by a certified financial planner, explained Syncrude’s retirement programs and covered budgeting, investment management, tax load reduction, and other strategies for sound retirement planning.

Employer of Choice Focus Groups – To help unleash the full potential of its operation, Syncrude needs to continue to attract and keep high quality workers in a competitive job market, and further build its reputation as an employer of choice. Toward that end, we held employee focus groups in 2006 to obtain feedback and identify both strengths and challenges on issues of worker attraction and retention. The focus groups revealed a proud and engaged workforce that appreciates the stability and history of Syncrude as an employer.