EIT InnoEnergy has launched its European Solar Academy to skill 65,000 workers over the next two years.
The European Solar Academy is mandated by the European Commission as one of their Net-Zero Academies and will skill workers across the entire solar photovoltaic value chain.
The InnoEnergy Skills Institute will run the academy and develop tailored training services to reskill and upskill its workers.
Growing energy demands are causing skills shortages
As the European Union pursues 2030 targets to install almost 600 GW of solar photovoltaic panels and supply 40% of EU demand for net zero technologies with products made in Europe, a growing number of skilled workers is urgently needed.
Downstream installation is estimated to require up to 400,000 additional trained workers by 2030, and to meet the goal of producing 30 GW of solar energy domestically, an estimated additional 50,000 trained workers will be needed in manufacturing upstream.
New market research from EIT InnoEnergy found skills gaps in training electricians on safe grid connection and construction workers certified for installation.
Specific skills gaps for process engineers, technicians, and operators to produce cells, modules and ingots, and wafers were also identified by InnoEnergy’s research.
How the European Solar Academy will address these shortages
The European Solar Academy will address these skills shortages, particularly for the growing number of solar SMEs.
Working in close collaboration with industry, the InnoEnergy Skills Institute will build a robust library of more than 40 courses with industry-recognised certifications across the value chain.
Leveraging the InnoEnergy Skills Institute’s successful training and skilling model, the Academy will certify over 80 local training providers and mobilise a network of industry and workforce partners to deliver courses to learners at scale.
Oana Penu, Director of the InnoEnergy Skills Institute, said: “To meet the dual challenge of deploying solar PV at speed and boosting the resilience of domestic manufacturing capacity, the current skills gaps in the workforce must be addressed.
“The Solar Academy will do just that, based on a model that is tried and tested.
“We look forward to working closely with businesses across the solar PV value chain to develop personalised learning journeys that fit their workforce needs.”
