Due to “ambitious installation targets”: There is a shortage of skilled workers in the European solar industry

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The sector in the EU created 648,000 “full-time equivalents” last year, mostly in installation and assembly, according to a report by European umbrella organization Solar Power Europe (SPE). By 2027, if the solar energy boom continues, this figure is expected to reach 1.2 million in the “medium scenario”. Therefore, the greatest need for skilled workers is in Germany.

What is needed are mainly construction masters for installation, as well as planning and electrical engineers. The solar industry is concerned that a shortage of skilled workers could pose a barrier to hoped-for rapid growth. “Too few employees in renewable energies means that not enough projects can be implemented,” said Sanda Bozic, human resources manager of Baywa re, a major project developer in the field of solar energy systems with branches in 31 countries and headquartered in Munich.

Full-time equivalent is a common figure in human resources management where all positions are converted to full-time positions. On the other hand, the actual number of employees is usually higher because employees also work part-time.

Headquartered in Brussels, Solar Power Europe is the European lobby association of 300 companies and national associations, chaired by Austrian executive Walburga Hemetsberger.

Last year, according to the PES report, Poland ranked first with approximately 147,000 full-time employees, followed by Spain with 103,000 employees and Germany with approximately 96,000 employees. But this will soon change, according to the Solar Association: The study’s authors expect Germany to have more than 210,000 full-time workers in 2027. This would more than double the figure and put Germany at the top, ahead of Spain and Poland.

“Ambitious installation targets in almost all European countries mean that demand for workers in the renewable energy sector, and particularly the solar sector, is growing faster than elsewhere,” said Bozic, Bayware’s head of European human resources. Middle East and Africa. When it comes to technical professions, the solar industry competes with energy suppliers, the automotive industry and even large IT companies.

Both the association and the company are therefore calling for greater political commitment to help make education and training in technical professions popular again. (SDA)

Source :Blick