This research aims to map the skills and jobs of the energy revolution

The global transformation of our energy system towards sustainable and renewable sources will also be a global jobs transformation.

New types of jobs, new skills, new specialisms and whole new professions will emerge alongside the new energy system that we are today in the early stages of building. It is therefore essential that job-seekers and those who hire them understand the extent to which certain segments of the job market are set to change in the coming decade.

To better understand how the labour market is going to change, the Brazilian National Industry Observatory, a data and studies hub of the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), has developed the Labor Market Foresight Model.

The model aims to estimate any industry’s future need for a qualified labour force, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

To understand the trajectory of the green jobs revolution, CNI engaged directly with experts from the industry and academia through questionnaires. Panels of experts represented both companies in the renewable energy sector and academics.

The need for a qualified labour force over the next 5 to 10 years is examined within the following parameters:

In this way, six key skills for a changing renewable energy workforce emerged, four more generalized abilities became clear and three increasingly important styles of work were identified.

These are the key skills that workers will need to flourish in a changing energy industry.

Quality control analysis. Perform tests and inspections on products, services or processes for quality and performance assessments.

Operational analysis. Analyze requirements and procedures for the project or production enhancement, operational parameters and goals, inspection standards, materials and how to use them, facilities, equipment, tools, work conditions and methods.

Reasoning and decision-making. Consider costs and benefits related to potential actions in order to select the most appropriate one.

Customer guidance. Respond to customers’ needs interpreting their emotional and motivational states and determining and offering proper support or interventions.

Critical thinking. Use logic and reasoning to develop activities, as well as to identify strengths and weaknesses in alternative solutions, conclusions or problem-approaching strategies. Analyze and confirm the veracity of information.

Equipment selection. Specify the types of tools, instruments and equipment necessary to carry out a specific work.

These are the more abstract capacities and abilities that workers will need to get ahead in a changing energy industry.

Creativity and originality. Produce innovative ideas on given subject or situation or develop creative solutions for problems related to the work.

Brainstorming. Produce several ideas on given topic (regardless of the quantity and quality of such ideas).

Deductive reasoning. Apply general rules to specific problems leading to results that make sense.

Mathematic reasoning. Demonstrate understanding of mathematic terms and concepts and apply basic mathematic principles and processes to interpret data and facts.

Styles of work. These are the ways of working that will help workers to meet their potential and succeed in the future energy industry.

Leadership. Willingness to lead, motivating a group of people to act towards a common goal; take the lead, offer opinions and guidance and direct efforts toward meeting the goals proposed by the organization.

Result-oriented. Establish and maintain goals whose achievement implies and requires efforts to master them, as well as tasks to meet the demands for services.

Analytical thinking. Analyze data or facts to determine suitable actions or recommendations, compare and critically analyze credibility and reliability of data sources, carry out and defend judgments based on internal evidence and external criteria to approach work-related topics and issues.

The new professional profiles identified reflect the evolution of the needs in the renewable energy segment as it matures and blends into broader social and technological changes. While it’s difficult to outline all the new roles set to be created in the coming years — innovation always opens new and unexpected doors — there are a few emerging professions that we can confidently say are set to grow. These include specialists in energy storage; electric vehicle charging infrastructure; micro-networks and distributed energy systems; and wind farm performance monitoring and anemometric towers. Further, renewable energy data analysts and renewable energy assets managers will be in high demand to adjust to a changing energy system. And to secure all this new technology, we can expect a growth in roles for renewable energy systems cyberphysical security analysts.

The Labor Market Foresight Model is the first stage in updating and creating professional profiles and new curricular designs. The model's results are used as inputs for discussions by internal and external sectoral technical committees (with companies in the sector considered). By incorporating information on future occupational impacts, SENAI — a network of secondary-level professional schools established and maintained by the Brazilian Confederation of Industry — seeks to keep its courses in line with Brazilian industrial companies' technological and organizational evolution.

The results presented by the foresight model confirm that the evolving renewable energy sector will lead to a demand for professionals with specific and transversal skills, such as knowledge in advanced production, data analysis, Artificial Intelligence and automation.

There is no doubt that the energy transition will also be a jobs transition. With research like the Labor Market Foresight Model, those looking to change careers or enter the labour market for the first time — as well as companies seeking to stay on top of their game — can make informed decisions about their future.