Critical youth upskilling to address the energy talent gap
- By Gilles Vermot Desroches
- 13 Jan 2025
- 2 min read
Significant changes are reshaping the global energy landscape, driven by powerful trends like urbanization, industrialization, and an accelerated shift towards digitization.
According to the International Energy Agency, cities across the world account for around 75% of global energy consumption and 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The rise of digitization is also reshaping energy systems through smart grids, digital infrastructure, and an increased reliance on data centers. Projections are that global data center capacity is expected to double in the next five years.
Without even realising it, we are living through a paradigm shift. Much like the historical transitions of the Industrial Revolutions or the Information Revolution, the energy transition is transforming our way of life and more broadly, our economies. The transition to this new energy landscape is undoubtedly one the greatest challenges of our time.
As we shift towards an energy system based on renewable energy. youth skills training can help address the challenges of climate change and the equitable growth that is needed for it to be a just transition.
From green skills linked to smart grid technology, to robotics, and cybersecurity, there are numerous buzz words that are transforming industries and creating an urgent need for highly skilled professionals. So, the question is, do we have the required job-related competencies and the necessary soft skills for the new technologies and digitalization that are driving the energy transition?
While it is widely reported that there will soon be a massive global shortage of green energy skills, there is also a growing number of economically under-engaged youth. The World Bank suggests that seven out of every ten youth globally are economically disengaged or under-engaged. This means they’re in a state in which they do not have adequate access to opportunities for skills development. The NEET (not in education, employment, or training) population presents an opportunity to address the skills gap in the emerging energy landscape by engaging these individuals in targeted training and upskilling programs. By equipping them with green skills they can play a pivotal role in advancing the energy transition while securing meaningful employment.
The world’s youth are best placed to lead the global transformation towards sustainability. According to the United Nations young people’s strong social and environmental awareness has the power to transform communities towards a climate resilient future.
Critical to accelerating sustainability is upskilling and empowering youth to meet the growing demands of the energy transition, which requires a multi-pronged approach to training and education initiatives.
Schneider Electric’s Youth Impact Through Learning initiatives tackles different elements of education solutions, as well as through partnerships, that empower youth to gain the skills required in an ever-evolving energy landscape.
Empowering youth with future-ready Skills: Schneider Electric’s Youth Education & Entrepreneurship Program, supported by the Schneider Electric Foundation, is shaping the next generation of energy leaders. With a goal to empower 1 million youth in energy management by 2025, 10 000 trainers and support 10 000 entrepreneurs. We’ve already impacted over 763,000 young individuals, 10 000 trainers and entrepreneurs, with more than 400 partners in 60 countries, “equipping them with resilience to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change and digital transformation and make meaningful contribution to their communities and beyond.”
Through tailored technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs and New Skills for the Future initiatives, we provide hands-on training, spread knowledge around energy transition, foster innovative green solutions to address community challenges, and support entrepreneurial innovation through mentorship and funding opportunities, enabling youth to actively participate in and lead the energy transition. A core focus of the program is advancing gender equality by empowering girls and women to play a pivotal role in shaping a just and inclusive energy transition, and targeting youth in the most vulnerable situation (displaced youth, NEET etc.)
Industry-aligned education: Schneider Electric’s Education Solutions are working with various education providers, vocational training centers, engineering colleges and universities to provide training equipment in high-demand job skills in the field of energy. This ensures that educational institutions continually adapt their hands-on training to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, producing technical graduates who are fully prepared to meet the evolving challenges of the just energy transition.
The Schneider Electric School also aims to train students in the technical professions of energy transition and industry in the French region. Meanwhile, The Engineers for School (IPE) program connects education and industry, helping high school students in France transition from academics to careers through guidance from qualified engineers.
The Global Equipment Donation Program has been successfully implemented in 15 countries, providing educational institutions with Schneider Electric equipment. This initiative is designed to enhance hands-on training, empowering students with practical skills and knowledge for their future careers in the energy sector.
Digital access to learning: With many young people facing barriers to education, due to affordability or geographic location, online learning can play a key role in education as we adapt to meet the demands of the energy transition. Schneider Electric’s Digital Learning Program includes a variety of modular courses which cover essential energy and automation.
The Digital Learning Program provides innovative training tools, which enhance training in several ways for young people. While virtual immersions enable better knowledge retention, the Schneider Ecostruxure XR Operator Advisor (XROA) software allows the creation of virtual twins of electrical equipment, electrical labs or professional situations to train students via digital devices. Through virtual factory tours students anywhere in the world can get a glimpse of the realities of the sector.
Sadly, there remains a glaring gender disparity in the energy sector, with recent research indicating that only 24% of the sector’s workforce are women. UNESCO also suggests that women only make up 35% of STEM graduates. Gender-based barriers should be broken down at every stage of a girl’s life. Advocacy and awareness campaigns, STEM mentorship programs and strategic partnerships can all empower women in energy roles.
Schneider Electric’s Youth Impact Through Learning initiatives advocate for awareness around gender equality and offer practical training programs, ensuring women can play a meaningful role in the energy transition.
There’s no doubt that upskilling talent is critical for the continued move towards a just energy transition. Skills development must therefore proactively adapt amidst the megatrends that are driving a surge in energy demand.
Equipping young people to become technical graduates who can navigate and lead within the new energy realities, will not only meet the growing demands, but also foster a workforce capable of supporting the energy transition.
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