The skills gap in the energy sector, including oil, gas, wind, nuclear, coal, solar, and hydropower, is expanding. Energy suppliers are using digital tools to manage operations and meet their customers’ needs. The energy sector has prepared itself to take advantage of digital opportunities and future challenges. But it still has not reached its full potential.
One critical reason is the skills gap it faces.
To become a smart, sustainable sector, it needs people with industry-specific experience and digital knowledge.
To embrace the digital future, companies need professionals with the right expertise and knowledge. The DNV.GL report on digitalization and the future of energy says; “71 percent of companies need staff with domain and digital experience. And, 18 percent do not have a single employee with the required skill set.”
It also revealed that 91% of the industry’s leadership regarded digital skills as pivotal to the sector’s overall growth.
Training could Change the Skills Gap in the Energy Sector
Professionals need to upskill and learn new digital skills to succeed in the energy sector.
Digitalisation has improved connectivity, efficiency and user experience. It has increased computing power and now has access to multi-point data that can be analysed. Data Science and Big Data Analytics are sought after digital skills.
This sector is also under global scrutiny about carbon emissions and their link to climate change. Thus, critical thinking, creativity and innovation have become priority skill needs.
The Rising Gap in Organisations
The US is on the verge of losing a large part of its current ageing workforce to retirement – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers report.
To meet the operational requirements of a net-zero energy system by 2050. The energy sector will have to recruit and train professionals to fill 400,000 roles – National Grid.
It is estimated that India’s power generation capacity will more than double by 2027. The rural electrification projects under the Government’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna (DDUGJY) and PM’s Saubhagya Program aims to electrify over 4 crore households. To expand at this rate will need 1.5 million skilled workers by 2025.
These are just three of many reports highlighting this issue. This shows that there is massive scope for a new workforce with new skill sets. A workforce with capabilities to push the energy sector forward.
Institutes like The European Energy Centre, IFE and Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI) are training professionals with employable skills.
How to Power Through the Energy Sector?
While organisations agree about the crucial need for skill development, many of them are unable to provide the facilities to make it a reality; be it budget constraints or the current culture.
A sure-shot way to power through is by upskilling and reskilling the workforce. However, upskilling isn’t just training. Educators, including technical training specialists, corporate trainers and executive coaches will have to:
- Identify the roles that need filling
- Understand the knowledge and digital skills gap
- Plan effective curriculums, positioning trainees to excel
- Develop engaging skills-development programmes
- Motivate individuals to safeguard their future and take action
As new roles draw upon existing skills, the transition of workers from current to new roles is straightforward. In companies, allocating time to train or reskill workers comes at a high cost. But when weighed against the greater risk of your organisation not having these skills – the payoff for upskilling is immense.
Build a Future-Proof Upskilling Strategy
In addition to fostering a culture of continuous learning, organisations need to help learners provide proof of skill. This means learners can prove their credibility which will position them to thrive in the digital workplace.
The Ability to Prove Credibility will Soon be the Industry Standard.
You can empower individuals to prove their skills by creating and sending digital certificates. Using CredSure, you can issue digital certificates placed on blockchain technology. A digital certificate can be customised to showcase the level of the skills learnt, containing verifiable links and a QR code. The links can be traced back to the issuing institute and accreditation body. Thanks to blockchain, the certificate issued can never be altered, forged or falsified – making this the perfect proof of skill. To know more or share your thoughts, write to us here.
