Unlocking youth potential to boost South Africa’s energy sector

The renewable energy industry is booming in Southern Africa and beyond.

However, we face a growing challenge in making the transition to a more sustainable energy future: the talent pipeline.

The sector has typically relied on older, experienced professionals from the legacy power sector, but they are ageing and retiring, and young people are not entering the sector in meaningful numbers, leaving us without future talent to continue driving the industry forward.

Fixing this gap to enable real transformation and long-term success will require collaborative action from both industry and the youth themselves, as well as a new approach to how we educate, inspire, and involve the next generation.

The importance of starting early

One of the issues we currently face is that education initiatives and recruitment drives into the sector are targeting people who have already completed high school.

The reality is that this is already too late.

To build a sustainable workforce, the journey into the energy sector needs to start as early as Grade 10, when students begin to make subject and career choices.

More technical qualifications relevant to the energy industry should be introduced at this stage, not just at the post-matric level.

These should not necessarily be limited to engineering, as project management and other technical energy-specific roles are also in demand, and they all require relevant skills. 

South Africa’s many TVET colleges could play a key role here by offering more targeted, industry-aligned courses from the outset.

More than just jobs

Addressing the readiness of the youth to take up jobs within the energy sector is only one piece of the puzzle.

The industry itself has a crucial role to play in creating opportunities and pathways toward career growth, including bursaries, internships, and apprenticeships. Increased visibility of the renewable energy sector should also be a priority, to ensure that there is greater awareness of renewable power and the energy transition as career options.

Career days, company visits and open days, as well as partnerships with schools and tertiary institutions, can help bridge the knowledge and access gap, providing clearer direction and exposure to real opportunities.

Getting young people in the room

Many young people still do not know the full range of careers available in the energy space, and without that knowledge, they cannot pursue these paths.

Schools, colleges and universities, supported by industry, need to be proactive in advertising where growth sectors are, what skills are needed and how students can get involved.

Once students are studying related fields, it is also important that they be given insight into the industry to further their understanding of the requirements.

Conferences and high-level industry events are becoming increasingly frequent, but they remain largely inaccessible to students.

Opening some of these spaces to youth by waiving the delegate pricing for students, particularly those in their second or third year of technical or engineering studies, could be hugely transformative.

Listening to strategic discussions, networking with senior professionals, and simply being in the room could shape career ambitions and offer much-needed motivation.

From tick-boxes to transformation

To address our growing skills pipeline challenges, youth development cannot simply be a CSI project or a tick-box exercise.

Real transformation and a strong future for our renewable energy sector will require a strategic, long-term and effectively resourced approach.

This needs to include commitment from industry as well as input and involvement from government and education, as well as active engagement with young people. Without a deliberate, coordinated effort to engage and develop young talent, we risk building an industry that cannot sustain itself.

This is not just about filling job vacancies.

We need to shape a future workforce that is skilled, motivated, and has the skills to succeed in the society it will be serving.

This in turn requires earlier interventions, alongside more strategic investment in education, as well as sector visibility and career accessibility.

To build a sustainable talent pipeline for our renewable energy sector, South Africa needs early interventions, targeted training, youth-focused outreach, and inclusive access to industry spaces.

Viren Sookhun, MD at Oxyon People Solutions.

BUSINESS REPORT

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