Greening Technical and Vocational Education and Training for the solar industry in Africa

With a transition to low-carbon economies, access to energy is crucial for unlocking economic potential and creating decent employment. The growing renewable energy sector across the African continent encompasses a huge employment potential for Africa’s youth and is in need of people with specific green skills for the solar industry.

There is a crucial role for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to provide youth with critical skills for the solar industry. However, TVET across Africa is dealing with multiple challenges, ranging from the need to identify the necessary skills, adapt their curriculum and equipment, and find or train teachers to lacking infrastructure and funding opportunities.

In 2023 INCLUDE joined the Solar Hands-on training and International Network of Exchange (SHINE), a Capacity Building project funded by the EU Commission that seeks to drive the green transition and enhance energy access in Africa.

 

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More about SHINE 

Solar Hands-on training and International Network of Exchange 

SHINE is a Capacity Building project funded by the EU Commission that seeks to drive the green transition and enhance energy access in Africa. A European-African consortium, involving VET providers and stakeholders from education, industry, and policy makers, is collaboratively redesigning a market-oriented VET program focused on solar panel technology.

The goal is to create an impactful program equipping young Africans with the skills for the future of work. The role of INCLUDE is to provide the evidence base around green skills in the solar industry in Africa by offering key insights both from theory and practice, practical guidance, and tools for the capacity-building strategy of the programme.

Find out more on the SHINE website

 

The Potential for Solar Energy in Africa

With a transition to low-carbon economies, access to energy is crucial, not only for unlocking economic potential and creating employment but also for achieving health and education outcomes. Unfortunately, access to electricity continues to pose major challenges in Africa today, with more than half of the continent’s population having no access to electricity at all. Solar energy is seen as a logical solution, as Africa possesses almost unlimited solar potential, and this is increasingly being recognized by relevant stakeholders as significant; on-grid solar is on the way with current projects set to triple capacity across the African continent over the next decade.