WindEurope launches educational hub to plug skills gap

WindEurope is hoping to inspire the next generation to chose careers in the field of wind energy by launching a new platform designed to plug the skills gap and help major players meet the increasing demand for jobs within the renewable energy sector.

Called "LearnWind", the new platform is designed to guide prospective energy sector workers to consider a future in the wind energy sector as the transition from fossil fuels becomes more vital on the road to net-zero.

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The wind energy sector currently employs around 1.2 million people globally, but company demand for a solid workforce will only increase over time as renewables continue operating larger and larger market shares within energy grids. 300,000 people in Europe alone are employed by the wind sector.

Workers are at the heart of the clean energy transition which will lead to massive growth in energy jobs.

Renewables accounted for an estimated 11.5 million jobs worldwide in 2019, up from 11 million the previous year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), with the firm also suggesting total jobs in the energy sector could jump from 58 million in 2017 to over 100 million by 2050 - around the same time many government's carbon-neutrality plans are set to kick in.

“The transition from fossil fuels to renewables has only just begun," according to WindEurope's Deputy CEO Malgosia Bartosik. "Wind energy jobs in Europe [alone] are set to rise to 450,000 by 2030 – an increase of 50% from today.

"Europe needs a skills and training revolution. But most importantly, we need to inspire young girls and boys to think about questions of climate, energy and sustainability”, she added.

The firm is pushing for better curricula, stronger vocational training, dedicated teacher training and enhanced technology use to help plug the skills gap amid growing concerns of a potential labour shortage for wind energy.

Read more: EU to enshrine net-zero goals

The issue is also prevalent outside of Europe. A recent survey Deloitte identifies a lack of skilled staff as one of the main challenges for the wind sector in the coming decades for the US's wind industry, with 16% of respondents stating this as their most pressing issue.

Advancements in both onshore and offshore wind are expected to grow rapidly over the next few decades, with the EU expected to greenlight 1000GW of onshore wind and 300GW of offshore wind by 2050 in order to meet its goals, the firm claims.

It also suggests securing fresh talent will be essential in meeting these goals.

Renewable energy's market share increased by 3% in 2020 alone, guided by slight changes in consumption habits owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: Spain aims to install 1-3GW of floating wind turbine by 2030

LearnWind includes a variety of educational materials for children of different age groups.

Dedicated books and pictures illustrate basic concepts of climate change, renewable energy and the functioning of modern wind turbines to younger kids. Teaching resources enable parents and teachers to explain the advantages of wind energy to young students.

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