Green Forum • 21 June, 2024 at 9:00 AM
The European Commission has launched the European Solar Academy, the first in a series of EU Academies to be set up under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) to have in place the necessary skills along the net-zero technologies value chains.
The role of NZIA academies is to develop learning content and programmes together with the industry, to ensure sufficient skills and workforce in the value chain.
It is estimated that in the solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing sector alone, some 66,000 skilled workers will be needed by 2030 for the EU to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets while ensuring industrial competitiveness. The Solar Academy aims to train 100,000 workers in the solar photovoltaic value chain over the next three years to address the current labor and skills gap in the sector.
The Solar Academy will design learning content, together with the industry and relevant parties in the solar PV value chain. The Solar Academy will also develop learning credentials, which will certify the skills that people have acquired in its training courses, thus also boosting the mobility of the workforce across the Single Market.
The deployment of the programs is done via local partners. These can be Vocational and Educational Training (VET) providers, businesses, universities, or other education and training providers with whom the Academy signs a contract to deliver its programs.