Energy Transition Skills Shortage – What Opportunities Does Education and Training Provide?

The smarter E Podcast Episode 142 | July 20, 2023 | Language: German

The shortage of skilled workers could put the brakes on the energy transition in Germany. There is currently a shortage of around 216,000 skilled workers for the expansion of solar and wind energy - according to the Funke Mediengruppe, this was the result of a study by the Competence Center for Skilled Workforce Assurance (Kofa) at the Institute for the German Economy. According to the study, there is a shortage of electricians, air-conditioning technicians and IT specialists in particular.

Which occupational groups are particularly hard hit? What opportunities are there in terms of training and continuing education? And what about the financing of training? We talk about this with Berthold Breid, CEO of the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) in Berlin.

Timeline:

01:00 Overview of the shortage of skilled workers in the renewable energy (RE) sector in Germany.
03:56 What is the role of the shortage of skilled labor in general, the lack of education and training opportunities in the RE sector, and the attractiveness of the RE sector as a field of work?
08:04 Discussion about quality and quantity: Fast and compact training of e.g. solar installers or high quality training? How can we achieve a balance here?
14:37 Training funding issue: Where can this money come from, and is it even worthwhile to train unqualified people in Germany instead of importing trained professionals?

About The smarter E Podcast

The smarter E podcast is all about the current trends and developments in a renewable, decentralized and digital energy industry. Our moderators Tobias Bücklein and Zackes Brustik welcome and interview personalities who shape our industry and drive developments forward. A new episode is published every Thursday.

Click on the logo to listen to the podcast on the platform of your choice.

About Berthold Breid and RENAC

Berthold Breid, CEO of the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC)

Renewables Academy AG (RENAC), based in Berlin, Germany, is one of the leading international providers of training and capacity building in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Since our founding in 2008, more than 30,000 participants from over 165 countries have attended our training programs.

Berthold Breid has been involved in solar technology training since 1998. In 2008, he founded RENAC and today acts as CEO.

Content Partner

Further Content

Market Trends

PV Production: Can Europe Keep Up With the Rest of the World?

September 7, 2023

Even though the European Solar PV Industry Alliance is predicting that its own annual production capacity goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) will actually be exceeded by 2025, there’s still no guarantee that Europe will be able to catch back up with the international competition and secure a leading position again when it comes to PV production.

Wes Stein, Chief Research Scientist for Solar Technologies at CSIRO

CSP – How Concentrated Solar Power Works

The smarter E Podcast Episode 150 | Language: English

September 14, 2023

With CSP we can achieve high temperatures of 150 - 1500 Celsius to drive power cycles or industrial processes such as cement production or green hydrogen. But how far along is CSP technology? Wes Stein will give us the answer to this and other questions.

Dr. Hamed Beheshti and Ahmad Sandid

How Solar PV Is Helping to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Africa

The smarter E Podcast Episode 149 | Language: English

September 7, 2023

Africa has a huge untapped solar potential. The integrated solar water desalination project at Lodwar Hospital in Kenya is a flagship project that contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals.

Webinar

Solar Package 1 in the German Bundestag - What do I need to be prepared for now as a solar company or as a solar installer?

October 5, 2023

Experts from the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) will report on the latest developments in the German Bundestag.

Interview

"In the photovoltaic sector, the shortage of skilled workers at the level of electricians is estimated at around 60 to 100,000 people"

September 01, 2023

The shortage of electricians, air-conditioning technicians and IT specialists could put the brakes on the energy transition in Germany, because there is currently a shortage of around 216,000 skilled workers for the expansion of solar and wind energy. What opportunities are there in terms of training and continuing education? And what about the financing of training?