Net Zero: Increase In Governments’ Workforce Pledges "A Must”

Global Wind Organisation (GWO) is supporting calls for action to increase the level of commitment made by governments to include workforce development in their Net Zero plans.

A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) found that only 12% of governments’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) make explicit reference to energy and low-carbon related education and skills (IRENA, 2024).

Now, GWO is partnering with IRENA, via a new initiative called Jobs4RE, to ensure globally recognised training standards become a core element in aligning education and training systems with the needs of the industry.

Jakob Lau Holst, CEO of Global Wind Organisation, explains that GWO will support IRENA’s development on the Call to Action on skilling, inviting governments to accelerate skilling to reach energy transition targets and enhance accountability for including renewables sector human capital development in their NDCs. In his keynote speech during the 15th IRENA Assembly and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Jakob stressed the importance of a more highly skilled workforce to implement future energy transition assets:

IRENA’s report on delivering on the UAE consensus records only 12 % of reports on NDCs include mention of skilling for renewables. Given the demand for skilled workers in the initial construction period of wind energy developments, the need to increase governments’ commitment to education and skills in their NDCs is a must. We will need to consider the challenges that countries are facing and help them to mobilise their workforces at the local and national level.

GWO and IRENA will jointly publish guidelines that describe the skills and competences required for key wind energy workers in 2025. Two recent examples of workforce guidelines co-published with American Clean Power (ACP) and the Japanese Wind Power Association (JWPA) formed the backbone of how GWO training helps to build the wind workforce. With a similar project under way with ABEEólica in Brazil, GWO is using recent and upcoming collaborations to inform the development of the Jobs4RE guidelines in partnership with IRENA.

What are the Jobs4RE Guidelines?‍

In support of the UAE consensus, GWO was requested by The Global Offshore Wind Alliance at COP28 to work with IRENA under the headline “Jobs4RE” to assist governments in mobilising adequately skilled workers to deliver on the global target of tripling renewables capacity by 2030.

As the industry body for standardised training and workforce development in renewables, GWO is also supporting IRENA in shaping the Call to Action for Skilling for Tripling Renewables.

IRENA and GWO’s publication of the Jobs4RE Workforce Training Guidelines this year will establish recognised, industry-standard, entry-level training to meet the specific needs of wind energy developers. These guidelines will showcase examples of Vocational and Educational Training programmes (VETs) and apprenticeships from several countries, lessons learned and aim to share best practices and provide recommendations.

Jakob Lau Holst, added:

Our message to governments is to explicitly consider the human capital and employment element into your NDCs. You need people to build and operate the assets. Meanwhile, our key recommendation for countries is to recognise and use existing industry-developed standards and best practices, such as GWO’s training standards. The industry has invested considerable effort into developing these as best fit for purpose and when community colleges and vocational training align with our standards, it makes young graduates more readily employable.

Discover IRENA’s report on the UAE Consensus for Tripling Renewables here: