SUMMER INTERNSHIPs in regulatory economics (SIRE).
Objectives & Background
The goal of Summer Internship in Regulatory Economics (SIRE) is to match well qualified, capable, and interested economics students with appropriate firms and organizations that can provide relevant experience and where students can make meaningful contributions. As a result, students are often hired full time at their placement, find full time employment based on the network of their industry mentors, or continue part-time while completing their degrees.
SIRE is a launch pad for students in a career as a professional economists immediately upon graduation, enabling access to jobs that are advertised for candidates with 3 to 5 years of experience! SIRE graduates successfully compete with graduates of MA programs in Economics.
Program Eligibility
Prior to starting an internship, students must have completed Industrial Organization (Econ 471) and Regulatory Economics (Econ 477), three years of studies, and have a grade point average of at least 3.0 over their last 15 courses and in the required course sequence in industrial organization. Recommended courses include a course in Excel (Econ 311), econometrics (Econ 495), the economics of finance and accounting (Econ 457), and the economics of competition policy (Econ 571).
Many students have also completed courses in the economics of oil and gas and/or the two-course sequence in electricity economics.
Knowledge & Skills
The students in this program develop considerable expertise in regulatory economics and industrial organization, especially those that have completed all three of the industrial organization course sequence (Econ 471, 477, and 571). Moreover, students have the opportunity in Econ 477 and 571 to gain experience and expertise in performing and writing economic analysis.
Econ 477 and 571 both have extensive writing requirements with detailed feedback and instruction. SIRE students know how to formulate the appropriate analytical framework to address issues in industrial organization, perform the requisite economic analysis to identify the relevant determining facts, engage in verification of the relevant facts and quantify relevant magnitudes, and, last but not least, clearly communicate their findings and conclusions.
The summer internships solidify this academic knowledge with complementary experience in the workplace, and interns are able to bring their energy and insights to companies and regulatory agencies.
Placements
Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)
Alberta Utilities Commission
AltaLink
ATCO Electricity Generation
Brookfield Infrastructure
Canada Energy Regulator
Capital Power
Church Economic Consultants
Chymko Consulting
CPKC
ENMAX
Enbridge
Enbridge Pipelines. Inc.
Heartland Generations
Market Surveillance Administrator (Alberta)
National Energy Board
Pembina Pipeline Corporation
Power Advisory
TC Energy
Trans Mountain Pipeline
TransCanada Pipelines
Information for Students
Enrolling
SIRE has been placing interested and well-qualified students in jobs related to regulation since 2000.
The process begins with an annual call for applications which is emailed to all students enrolled in Econ 477 and 571 each January for the upcoming summer.
The deadline for submissions is also January so the application and acceptance process for this program is very short.
Visit Department of Economics website https://arts.ucalgary.ca/economics/current-students/undergraduate/opportunities for additional information and for the link on how to apply.
Some placements also require that students simultaneously apply directly. As placements are confirmed, information on applying directly will be circulated.
What will you gain?
The students in this program develop considerable expertise in regulatory economics and industrial organization, especially those that have completed all three courses in the industrial organization sequence (ECON 471, 477, and 571) and have experience in performing and writing economic analysis (ECON 477 and 571 both have extensive writing requirements with detailed feedback and instruction).
Information for Employers
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Students have self-selected into regulatory or economics and industrial organization, i.e., they like it and are interested (unlike traditional co-op programs).
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Students have completed their third or fourth year (typically fourth year).
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They have developed expertise and the appropriate background.
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Students are usually among our best - students are vetted by the Department for ability and background.
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Students are expected to make a substantial contribution and be paid for that contribution.
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Employers expect students to make impactful contributions and are willing to pay market compensation.
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Placements are true experiential learning, equivalent to entry-level positions for a professional economist.
Placements are typically full-time for four months (May through August); duties, remuneration, and length of placement are all negotiable.
The Department contacts past and potential employers in December to determine interest for the upcoming summer. The Department of Economics’ role is to make the process a little more efficient by making the preliminary contacts with companies and organizations where the students can make a contribution.
Employers who would like additional information or would like to recruit a summer intern from SIRE should contact Dr. Jeffrey Church, Co-Director RPCR, Department of Economics, University of Calgary at admin.rpcr@ucalgary.ca