Green energy groups step up training to close skills gap

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Financial Times or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: Companies and educational organizations throughout the UK and Europe are intensifying training initiatives to address the growing green skills gap
• As demand for renewable energy workers skyrockets, these programs aim to equip workers with the skills needed for installing and maintaining renewable energy sources

🔭 The context: Europe's push for a greener future is seeing a surge in the need for skilled professionals who can support this transition
• Specific areas facing immediate shortages include heat pump and solar panel installation, electric vehicle charging installation, and building upgrades to meet green standards.

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: Meeting renewable energy targets requires a robust workforce that can drive the sustainable transition 
• According to SolarPower Europe, over 1 million solar workers are needed in Europe in the next seven years to achieve the 2030 renewable energy goals

⏭️ What's next: Many green jobs require only in-house training or technical academy programs, unlike roles in nuclear power
• Companies like Octopus and Statkraft lead these training initiatives, supported by UK government schemes catering to a broad demographic, from school leavers to older re-entrants

💬 One quote: “Most of [those] who we employ right now are people who have some experience in gas or heating and are thinking about whether there will be a career installing gas boilers in five or 10 years from now” (John Szymik, Octopus energy services chief executive)

📈 One stat: PwC projects that up to 66,000 new workers, including heating engineers, insulation experts, and glaziers, will need to join the UK workforce annually in the foreseeable future 

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