🌎 Green Skills #17
HolonIQ is tracking reskilling and upskilling efforts as technology, decarbonization, and global dynamics reshape energy, environment, infrastructure, and mobility sectors. Targeted workforce development is key to enhancing skills, driving growth, and supporting sustainable progress.
Nigeria’s power sector faces a 50% skills gap, threatening its energy access ambitions. In response, the government is scaling up training programs, such as the Barefoot Renewable Energy College, and promoting local technical expertise. This challenge underscores the broader potential of Africa’s green tech sector, highlighted by the fact that over 50% of critical minerals employment in 2023 originated from the continent.
Meanwhile, the UK is investing $4B to create 120,000 training opportunities in green tech and construction, aiming to reduce its reliance on migrant labor. In a parallel move, Blackburn unveiled a $337M framework to advance sustainable infrastructure and local job creation. Together, these efforts reflect a global push toward workforce development in support of the green transition.
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Green Labor Market Trends
⚡ Nigeria’s Power Sector Faces 50% Skills Gap Amid Energy Expansion. Nigeria faces a 50% skills deficit in its power sector, which threatens its energy access goals. To address this, the government is investing in training initiatives like the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and promoting local content to bolster technical expertise.
⛏️ Dreampower Africa to Generate Over 1.5 Million Green Jobs. Dreampower Africa announced plans to create over 1.5 million green jobs across the continent, with a focus on renewable energy projects. This initiative aims to boost sustainable employment and support Africa's transition to a low-carbon economy.
🚗 Volvo to Cut 3,000 Jobs Amid Slowing EV Demand. Volvo plans to reduce its white-collar workforce by 3,000 due to declining electric vehicle demand and rising costs. The restructuring aims to save $1.9B, reflecting broader challenges in the automotive industry's transition to electrification.
>50% of Employment in the Critical Minerals Sector Came From Africa in 2023
👷♂️ Critical minerals drive job growth in 2023. Global employment in critical mineral mining surged by 50,000 in 2023, reaching approximately 790,000 workers, fueled by strong demand for minerals like lithium (30% increase) and others (3-15% growth).
⚙️ Africa leads the global employment base. Africa accounts for the largest share of critical mineral mining jobs, with over 400,000 workers, significantly more than Central and South America's 130,000 jobs.
🌱 Informal labor and poor conditions persist. A substantial portion of critical mineral mining in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) relies on low-skilled, informal labor, particularly in DRC cobalt extraction, where up to 250,000 workers, including an estimated 20% child labor, face unsafe conditions and low pay.
📉 Investment surge, but the supply pipeline is insufficient. Despite tempered prices, investments in critical mineral mining operations rose by 10% in 2023, with lithium investments up by nearly 60%, boosting its workforce by over 25%. However, the current project pipeline is inadequate to meet projected demand for critical minerals by 2030.
🎯 Actionable Strategies: Unlocking critical mineral job growth calls for targeted skilling and safer labor practices. Expanding training in Africa and formalizing informal mining, especially in cobalt, can boost equity and productivity. Fast-tracking projects and responsible investment is key to meeting 2030 demand.
Upskilling/Reskilling Intiatives
🏗️ UK Invests $4B in Job Training to Reduce Reliance on Migrants. The UK will invest $4B to create 120,000 training spots in sectors such as construction and green tech, aiming to reduce dependency on migrant labor and address national skills shortages through domestic workforce development.
🌱 Malaysia Offers Free Upskilling to 5M ASEAN Citizens. Malaysia’s National Training Week will provide 65,000 free courses in AI, green tech, and leadership to five million ASEAN citizens, positioning the region as a global skills hub through support from top global and local training providers.
🚙 Maruti Suzuki Trains EV Technicians Across 130 Indian ITIs. Maruti Suzuki launched EV and hybrid systems training in 130 Indian ITIs, aiming to equip 4,100 students annually with technical expertise in high-voltage systems, helping meet the growing demand for electric vehicle service professionals.
Policy Initiatives
📜 Blackburn unveils $337M framework to boost local infrastructure and workforce. Blackburn launched a $337M framework for building and infrastructure projects, aiming to stimulate regional development and create local employment opportunities. The initiative focuses on sustainable construction, aligning with broader green transition goals and addressing skills shortages in the sector.
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