Universities have the Potential to Play a Key Role in the Acceleration of a Just Transition
Among the many agenda items at COP28, one of the most widely publicized was the promise from over 100 countries to back the pledge to triple the world’s clean energy capacity by 2030. Meeting this ambitious pledge, which sets out to reach 10,000 gigawatts of global renewables by 2030, will require the proper training of a skilled workforce.
In 2021, global employment in the renewable energy sector already reached 12.7 million - up one million since 2020 alone. As the world pushes to decarbonize economies, countries must continue to ramp up the deployment of renewables, and train a new generation of young and transitioning workers. Universities have the ability to serve as more effective partners in the energy transition by improving course offerings in renewable energy. Specifically, universities should adapt to provide interdisciplinary coursework for technical renewable energy programs and increase partnerships with government agencies and industry leaders.
In the US, wind turbine technicians and solar installers will be two of the fastest growing occupations through 2026. These are just two examples of the many different technical jobs in the renewable energy sector that are continuing to grow in response to the demand for more clean energy. Skills needed for these jobs include industry-specific technical and mechanical expertise. Additionally, industry-requisite certifications should be paired or compliment coursework to better prepare young professionals for job readiness. Examples include safety certifications such as a GWO for those working with wind turbines, and technical certifications such as a BZEE for those working in solar. Issue areas with universities offering these kinds of courses include a lack of soft skills integration into technical coursework and gaps between curriculum and up-to-date industry standard skills.
Building up soft skills in addition to technical skills in university coursework can effectively train up a workforce for a sustainable and just renewable energy future. Globally, women only represent 16 percent of the traditional energy workforce; and even fewer are in leadership positions. The renewable energy sector still has the opportunity to grow with inclusive leadership in mind. Including interdisciplinary coursework in programs will prepare students to grow into management and leadership positions in their industry. Additionally, providing access to courses that impart the value of diversity and equity can increase representation and retention in the workforce of underrepresented populations. Existing interdisciplinary programs, like Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Engineering and Public Policy, can serve as models for these technical courses. Northeastern’s program requires both technical courses in engineering in addition to mandated coursework in social sciences.
Building partnerships between universities and industries or government agencies allows for curriculum that prepares students to fill current skills gaps in the renewable energy workforce. In the US in 2022, green jobs postings on LinkedIn rose by 20 percent, but the eligible talent pool for those jobs rose by only 8.4%. Green jobs are growing faster than our current education system can keep pace with. Expanding higher education-industry and federal partnerships ensures that skills learned in universities are applicable and updated at a pace that can keep up with the rapid change in renewable technologies. An example of this kind of partnership is NYSERDA’s agreement with the New York State Colleges. Their partnership provides opportunities for paid apprenticeships in the renewable energy sector to students and recent graduates. The program matches students and recent graduates with approved clean energy businesses, and provides funding for on the job training. The apprenticeship allows students to earn money as they learn and to network for a full-time position after the program completes.
These kinds of demand-driven courses can have a reciprocal benefit to universities and will attract more students to campuses in the long run. Globally, 94.2% of young people consider climate change and clean energy a priority, and 87% of young people would consider taking a job in the renewable energy sector. Universities have the opportunity to skill up a new workforce for good jobs - jobs that are high-paying and have a future as the world continues to shift its energy models. Furthermore, these jobs have the potential to get more workers on board with the fight against climate change - and accelerate the pace of a just transition.
