There will be high demand for construction jobs for renewable energy plants as the country’s energy transition gains momentum.
- A new skills roadmap shows education for traditional energy jobs is adequate, but training gaps exist for the future energy sector.
- Traditional energy education lacks specialized skills in renewable energy and clean energy alternatives.
- There will be a need for legal and financial skills, as well as social scientists, engineering, and environmental and climate scientists.
- For news and analysis on climate change, go to News24 Climate Future.
Future energy jobs will require skills in legal, financial, science and technology, business, engineering and social sciences, to name a few, according to a new report.
The South African Energy Skills Roadmap 2023, released this week, is the collaborative work of the South African National Energy Association (Sanea) and Wits University. The project was proposed by the BRICS Business Council of South Africa, with the aim that the roadmap would support the country’s broader plans for a just energy transition. It was funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The roadmap identifies the skills gaps for the energy sector of the future. It also breaks down recommendations to ensure the right skills are in place to help South Africa’s energy transition.
He notes that while fossil fuel-related jobs will decline over the next seven years, there is expected to be a high demand for jobs building renewable energy plants.
“With the shift from fossil fuels to more renewable and cleaner energy, the initial demand for jobs related to design, construction and installation will be high,” the report reads.
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After the construction of renewable energy plants, skills will also be needed for their ongoing operation and maintenance. “Installation, repair and maintenance is an important emerging area that has significant implications for local business development and community skills development,” the report reads.
Workers will require specialized skills for these clean energy technologies (such as green hydrogen and even energy storage solutions). In addition to technical specialists who can work with solar photovoltaic and wind technologies, others will be needed, such as electrical engineers and non-electrical technical skills such as boilermakers, welders and mechanical skills.
support roles
Beyond technical capabilities, skills are also required in supporting roles for the just energy transition, which takes socio-economic factors into account.
These include policy development and research, legal skills, forecasting and modeling, as well as mathematics and statistics for energy planning, and development professionals who can work with communities affected by the transition to renewable energy. Given the social impacts of the transition, there will also be opportunities for social workers, gender specialists, environmental education and inclusion specialists, and union leaders.
South Africa relies heavily on climate finance to finance its transition, and the roadmap highlights the need for relevant courses to upskill finance professionals with an understanding of sustainability and the business case for a just transition.
The roadmap identifies several trends influencing the South African energy system and related jobs. Among these trends is climate change, which would warrant skills in urban and rural planning, environmental and climate science, and finance and investment as climate finance comes to the fore.
The transition would also present opportunities for business development, and entrepreneurial, sales and marketing, and business management skills will be valuable.
As automation and digitization become more prevalent in the sector, there will be a need for skills in ICT operations and management, software and application development, data management and analysis, automation and robotics, related to electrical installation and automated equipment, and data. and network security.
traditional jobs
The roadmap shows an adequate supply of “traditional” energy courses or qualifications for existing jobs, with more than 1,000 courses offered at universities, colleges, and private training providers in the fields of engineering and science. But he noted a lack of specialized training from the community and the Vocational Technical Education and Training (TVET) universities in areas such as renewable energy and clean energy. The roadmap raises concerns about whether there is adequate training for the skills that will be in demand in the future.
“It is unclear whether post-school curricula and education quality are adequately or appropriately responding to future demand,” the report read. “TVET and community colleges are not responding or providing adequate training for current and future local demand…” she added.
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Although there are gaps, some progress is still being made. Universities are introducing short-term specialized courses on renewable energy technologies, such as wind energy and storage systems. The roadmap also noted that the Durban University of Technology and the South African Renewable Energy Technology Center (SARETEC) at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology offer technical courses for the installation of wind, solar and grid connections.
SARETEC is also involved in a just energy transition initiative with Eskom to train and upskill workers at its coal-fired power plants that are being decommissioned. The goal is to ensure that workers and communities that depend on the coal value chain are not harmed by the transition. SARETEC offers accredited courses and qualifications in the field of renewable energy. It is also working with other TVETs across the country to train solar photovoltaic technicians.
The roadmap also criticized the public sector’s focus on training traditional energy jobs, while the private sector has been better responsive to the needs of the future, such as renewable energy and alternative technologies and energy sources such as green hydrogen.
“The private sector is employing specialists in future areas such as green hydrogen to inform policies and clients that will shape the trajectory. The public sector tends to focus more on current jobs and issues,” the report reads.
Among the recommendations of the roadmap is that training institutions offer specialization degrees, both undergraduate and postgraduate, in renewable energy (such as solar, wind, biomass) and clean energy such as green hydrogen, automation and robotics.
Existing courses in law, business, and public sector administration and management must also be adjusted to take into account renewable energy, clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change. It also recommends that TVETs and community colleges increase their maintenance and repair offerings for renewable energy technologies.
Importantly, educators at these learning institutions will also need to improve their skills to teach new courses.
