The 2023 World Energy Employment Report has stated that clean energy jobs have risen to 35 million, a growth of 4.7 million, while fossil fuel employment has lagged, remaining 1.3 million jobs below their pre-pandemic levels at 32 million, however, new jobs in construction and manufacturing now account for over half of all energy employment.
With a growing trend toward project-based approaches in many industries, a rising demand for skilled project managers is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. However, this demand is contrasted by a shrinking workforce in many countries due to aging populations and falling birth rates.
According to George Asamani, MD, Sub-Saharan Africa, PMI, “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 per cent of the top solar sites globally — yet contains just 1 per cent of solar PV capacity.”
Several countries are leading the renewable charge in Africa. Senegal, an unlikely renewable energy hotspot, with oil and gas driving its forecasted 8.8 per cent GDP growth in 2024, is aiming to generate as much as 40 per cent clean energy by 2030. Ghana’s $2 billion Ada Foah project is set to produce 1,000 megawatts of power by capturing tidal wave energy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Even oil-rich Nigeria is calling for renewables to meet 60 per cent of the country’s energy demands by 2050. In South Africa, some 66GW of wind and solar projects are at various stages of development, with 18GW at an advanced stage.
Amid the many positive trends emerging for clean energy employment, skilled labour shortages are already plaguing the sector. The sector needs higher-skilled workers than most industries; 36 per cent of energy jobs are within high-skilled occupations by International Labour Organisation(ILO) definitions, compared to 27 per cent in the broader economy.
“The number of Africans pursuing certifications relevant to project management is not keeping pace with the growing demand. Last year, China certified over 100,000 individuals, North America had 33,000, while Africa only managed 3000. Meanwhile, the global economy needs 25 million project professionals by 2030. To meet this demand, the biggest coming from sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 2.3 million individuals must enter project management-oriented employment annually,” added Asamani.
