In recent years there has been a growing emphasis on transitioning towards ‘green’ sources of energy to combat climate change and secure a sustainable future.
As part of this movement, there’s been a tendency to rebrand conventional vocational skills as ‘green skills’. Apparently, we need ‘green’ plumbers, ‘green’ electricians, ‘green’ carpenters etc. While we can all work with a heightened consciousness of environmental responsibility, the key skills of a welder stay the same.
Amidst the fervour surrounding the rise of green renewable industries, a critical question emerges; do these sectors truly demand an overhaul of vocational skills, or is there more to the narrative than meets the eye?
While there are undoubtedly some specialized aspects within these industries, the prevailing notion that entirely new skills are needed does warrant closer examination.
Through the history of human innovation, many existing trades have transitioned to new technologies, usually because the artisans involved in such transitions were the actual architects of the new innovations and, importantly, the artisans were actually quite smart.
Straw houses to brick houses to skyscrapers, carts to carriages to cars, gramophones to Spotify, morse code to cell phones; the evolution has been led by artisans, adapting their skills quickly and enthusiastically, always interested in how far the evolution will go, that enthusiasm being a vocation!
It is essential to recognize that the skills required for green renewable industries do not emerge from a vacuum. Skills like electrical work, construction, and engineering already possess a high degree of overlap with the needs of renewable energy. Solar installations, for instance, require wiring and electrical expertise that aligns with conventional electrician skills. Wind turbines are installed by fitters, although at dizzying heights!
While it’s true that certain aspects of renewable energy industries require specialized know-how, it’s misleading to suggest that these industries necessitate a complete reinvention of the vocational skills wheel. Rather than an extensive new training campaign, it’s more plausible that a focused approach that builds upon existing skillsets would be more effective and equitable for young Namibians.
Taking trainees, and especially unemployed TVET graduates, to a higher level of expertise with some specialization short courses is likely the more pragmatic approach. This builds upon the foundation of existing skills so facilitating a smoother transition into the renewable energy landscape. For instance, a young, recently graduated turner and fitter might find relevance in wind turbine assembly with targeted training.
Such interventions will ensure that vocational skills remain adaptable to evolving industries while minimizing the reallocation of scarce training resources to the latest trend, a trend that the benefitting industries should be supporting anyway.
When we consider that, through no fault of their own, approximately half of all trained, competent and keen TVET graduates do not find meaningful employment after Level 3, we should start focusing on equipping our training centres (Public and Private) to an introductory level of renewable energy awareness training, while focusing private sector resources towards a renewable energy ‘Centre of Excellence’ utilizing only a small fraction of international investors’ own funds that are planned to be spent in Namibia.
Such a Centre of Excellence (or rather Centre of Specialization) will first cater for the upgrading of existing Namibia TVET Trainers in renewable energy, possibly with ‘guest’ expert trainers from overseas, then recruit the best trainers from these early groups to staff the centre.
Once staffed, unemployed graduates will be employed by the Green Energy sector companies as paid apprentices, so learning on the job and gaining theoretical and simulated skills at the Centre of Specialization.
With a Centre of Specialization, established in the proven geographical location of Green Hydrogen heaven, Namibia will have a created an internationally renowned, cost recovering, research and training Centre to be marketed globally, ensuring that Namibian artisans can be trained to work at home and abroad at no cost to the Namibian tax payer.
*Martin Wilkinson is senior technical advisor for ProTVET a project of GlZ Namibia, and has worked in Namibia for 27 years on TVET activities with Millennium Challenge Account, Lux Development, Kayec Trust and Oxfam Canada. This article reflects the personal opinions of the Author.
