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Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

Our newsletter is designed to bring you closer to your green career goals by sharing insights into the industry, its opportunities, challenges, and the paths ahead.

In today’s edition, we take a closer look at what’s slowing down a faster transition.

As Africa works to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, one of its biggest hurdles is shortage of skills.

The continent continues to face a significant skills gap in the green economy, limiting its ability to fully unlock and benefit from this transition.

In a Reuters article titled “How bridging the skills gap can boost Africa's green energy transition” (Ben Payton, Nov 19, 2024), Husk Power Systems CEO Manoj Sinha highlighted the hiring challenges in the sector. 

He points out that candidates rarely come with a renewable energy background, whether for senior positions or entry-level technical roles.

“Forget about green energy – there’s no skill set, even for basic electrical and civil and mechanical work,” Sinha remarked.

Makena Ireri, Director for Demand, Jobs, and Livelihoods at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), emphasized the scale of the problem. “The gap is enormous,” she noted, adding that the shortage of skills affects not only the supply side of green infrastructure but also the demand side; in the very industries that will need to adopt and apply green technologies.

In July, FSD Africa, a UK-funded financial development agency, published a report stating that Africa could create 3.3 million green jobs by 2030, with 1.7 million in the solar energy sector. 

The report predicts that 10% of these jobs will require a university education, while 30% will depend on technical or vocational training. 

Yet education remains a challenge at every stage, from basic schooling to tertiary and vocational institutions.

In most African countries, the responsibility of training the emerging green workforce falls largely on companies themselves. 

Marco Serena, Chief Sustainable Impact Officer at the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), pointed out that this training requirement represents an additional cost. 

He notes that it is “almost a given” developers will need to bring in personnel from other regions to train local workers, particularly in countries where renewable energy is still in its early stages.

Sinha suggests that African governments could draw lessons from India’s network of industrial training institutes, which provide a steady pipeline of workers equipped with mechanical and technical skills.

But here’s the question: can and should we wait for governments to take the lead in equipping us with the skills needed? 

At Green Jobs Rising, we are committed to sharing opportunities that will help you upskill, as well as stories to inspire your journey into the sector.

Always stay tuned!