Renewable energy is requiring changes in the employment landscape as it grows
The renewable energy sector stepped up when legacy infrastructure was struggling to keep up. Now, this sector is changing the nature of the industry in South Africa on multiple levels. From employment to innovation to global best practice, the renewable energy economy is transforming the industry. And yet, when it comes to employment and skills development, the sector continues to grapple with serious gaps.
The first is permanence. The industry hasn’t fundamentally transformed net job creation with only 6,000 permanent jobs created. The rest are temporary. Many people are working on the initial construction phases of a project, but their skills aren’t translating into long-term roles.
This dynamic has created a uniquely South African version of the clean energy transition. The industry continues to modernise, but it does so in a way that supports employment and economic participation. In practice, this has widened the definition of what the renewable energy workforce looks like, bringing a different emphasis to roles and attributes that weren’t essential a decade ago.
Specialists required
The move towards large-scale renewable energy deployments has increased the demand for specialised skills, but many of these aren’t entirely new roles. They are extensions of existing roles that have been reimagined by the complexity of modern projects. As more solar and battery plants move from development to operation, there’s a growing need for asset managers, performance analysts, operations and maintenance specialists and grid engineers – roles that ensure that energy plants can operate optimally throughout their lifecycle.
Then, of course, cyber security is an important issue. Modern energy plants rely heavily on control and networking technologies that enable remote monitoring and data collection through digital interfaces and that means protecting these systems is critical. Downtime or disruption can have serious financial and operational consequences. Cyber-security training and expertise are increasingly associated with renewable energy.
The volume of data created by these intelligent systems has increased demand for people who can do analytics or data management and who can support day-to-day decision making. Their insights can fundamentally change how leadership perceives plant performance and operational risks, as well as guide preventative and corrective maintenance.
Evolving market
Looking into the future, the introduction of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) is going to change the demand for talent even more. Energy trading, day-ahead forecasting and financial modelling are already well-established careers in the UK and Europe, but are relatively new locally. South Africa’s move towards a more open electricity market will make these skills increasingly important, presenting an opportunity for skills transfer between the financial services and energy sectors.
The sector is also attracting experienced professionals from mining, oil and other heavy industries who are looking for work that carries more meaning. Many want to contribute to long-term energy security and climate resilience, and renewable energy offers a way to do that. Internal engagement data consistently shows that people working in the sector feel connected to the mission of building a cleaner, more stable future, although this is not their only motivation. The rapid change of pace in the sector is alluring for people who enjoy problem solving and rapid innovation.
Text | Alicia Dean
Photography | Koldo Studio
Alicia Dean is Head of People and Group Services at SOLA Group.
For more information, go to solagroup.co.za
