By Egbodo Queen
As the globe continue to push for a shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, jobs demands are likely to change in the next ten years.
Also, over the next ten years, there is likely to be a large increase in demand for qualified project managers in the clean energy sector due to the growing tendency towards project-based techniques in many industries.
This was contained in a latest 2023 World Energy Employment Report. It said that this demand was offset will be offset by a declining labor force in many nations as a result of aging populations and declining birth rate.
It said that 36% of energy employment fall within the category of a high-skilled occupation according to the International Labour Organization, compared to 27% in the overall economy, and that the industry needs personnel with greater skill levels than most other industries.
“The increased demand for project management qualifications is outpacing the number of Africans pursuing them. China qualified more than 100,000 people last year, North America 33,000, and Africa only 3,000.
“By 2030, there will be a 25 million-person demand for project experts in the worldwide economy. In order to fulfill this demand, the majority of which originates from sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 2.3 million people must work in project management positions each year.
“Developing a certified pool of project managers ought to be a top concern for the area hoping to achieve energy independence. One of the elements that boosts competitiveness is project management, which is crucial in achieving development goals, he stated. The World Energy Outlook Report estimates that in order for Africa to meet all of its development goals linked to energy, including universal access to modern energy, energy investment will need to increase to over $200 billion annually by 2030”.
The reported revealed that the clean energy sector created about 35 million within the fossil fuel industry in 2023.
It noted that although employment related to fossil fuels has decreased, the remaining 1.3 million jobs are below the 32 million pre-pandemic levels, with new positions in manufacturing and construction making up more than half of all energy employment.
It said the development indicates a significant increment from the 4.7 million in the previous year.
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According to the Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, PMI, George Asamani, as more countries thrive to transition to clean energy, the sector will significantly boost employment opportunities.
Asamani said: “As more countries and corporations in the region commit to lowering emissions, the transition to clean energy is poised to boost employment opportunities significantly.
“Turning the vision into reality means lots of projects and lots of jobs. There’s abundant potential in Africa, which is home to 60% of the top solar sites globally, yet contains just 1% of solar PV capacity.”
He also stated that as more nations and businesses in the area make commitments to reduce their emissions, the shift to clean energy is expected to greatly increase job prospects.
The report particularly mentioned that countries like Nigeria and Senegal, despite their economies relying heavily on fossil fuel proceeds, are likely to shift to harness clean energy opportunities, especially in the area of electricity generation.
“Making the vision a reality requires a lot of projects and jobs,” he said. Though it only has 1% of the world’s solar PV capacity, Africa is home to 60% of the best solar sites worldwide, therefore there is a lot of promise there.
“Senegal, “an unlikely renewable energy hotspot, with oil and gas driving its forecast 8.8 per cent Gross Domestic Product growth in 2024,” is aiming to generate as much as 40% clean energy by 2030, according to the report, which also stated that several African nations were leading the charge in renewable energy.
“Nigeria, a country rich in oil, has called for renewable energy to supply 60% of its energy needs by 2050. 18GW of the 66GW of wind and solar projects in South Africa are at an advanced level of development, according to the research.
It was reported that the clean energy industry was already experiencing a skilled labor shortage despite the several encouraging trends for employment in the field,” the report said..
It further revealed that by harnessing the energy of tidal waves in the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana’s $2 billion Ada Foah project was expected to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
It added that around 600 million Africans—98% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa—do not have access to electricity.
