Why do we need to Skill for the Just Energy Transition?
With the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 stipulating the build of over 120-180GW of renewable energy capacity over the next 30 years, South Africa (SA) will experience a significant energy transition.
To ensure that this transition is just and inclusive, a concerted effort must be made to prepare the workforce for new employment opportunities while addressing potential job losses and economic exclusion. Many of the new opportunities will require skills that are currently lacking in the country. Given the high unemployment rates in SA, the risk of vulnerable groups being further marginalized due to a skills mismatch is also high.
What is the Just Energy Transition Skills for Employment Programme (JET SEP)?
It is critical to develop a national, just and inclusive skilling programme in South Africa that supports the Just Energy Transition and mitigates job losses. JET SEP coordinates private sector efforts to accelerate the preparation of the workforce in support of the government’s JET Skilling Implementation Plan.
Objective: Contribute to equipping the South African workforce by coordinating the private sector’s approach to demand-led skilling for emerging jobs on the pathway to a Just Energy Transition.
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Role of the Private Sector
Since the launch of the JET SEP in April 2024, significant progress has been made in engaging the private sector to support the Skills Chapter of the JET Implementation Plan (JET IP). Through our CEO Champions Board, industry Working Groups and Advisory Board, we have collaborated with 28 of the country’s leading CEOs and over 50 business, government, NGO, and academic stakeholders. This effort underscores the importance of a coordinated approach to skilling South Africa’s workforce for the energy transition.
The National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and endorsed by the Presidency’s JET Project Management Unit (JET PMU), Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), has launched the Just Energy Transition Skills for Employment Programme (JET SEP) to drive a coordinated approach with the private sector to skill the South African workforce for deployment to new jobs created in clean energy and green value chains on the pathway to a Just Energy Transition.
SA’s energy transition adds urgency to developing the systems and institutional capacity needed to equip the workforce with relevant skills in a coordinated and inclusive manner.
The National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently developed what the decarbonisation pathways could look like for the South African economy, together with the South African private sector and other relevant stakeholders from government, labour and civil society. This body of work has shown that it is indeed possible to reach a net zero emissions economy by 2050 if we start now. The reports for this project are available here:
JET SEP is guided by the five interventions identfied in the JET Implementation Plan
JET skills ecosystem and skills forum focusing on a coordinated approach to skills anticipation, development, and utilization
JET Skills Development Zones (SDZs) focused on three core value chains focused on applied skills anticipation, development, and utilisation for the three value chains – Electric Vehicles, Green Hydrogen, RE and Transmission
JET skills development needs assessments for the three core value chains
Providing support to existing, growth oriented IRM SMEs/entrepreneurs to increase enterprise capacity, technical skills, and market access, on the proviso that they train and employ youth.
Foundational skills development support to teachers and educators
JET SEP is Committed to a Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Endorsements:
Supported by 28+ CEO champions from leading companies and the Just Energy Transition Project Management Unit (PMU) in the office of the Presidency, JET SEP is coordinating the private and public sectors to engage meaningfully with other stakeholders to meet this unprecedented skilling challenge.
The CEO Champions Board provides directional input on content at key milestones. 28+ CEO Champions currently amplify the work and engage with other leaders to support the demand-led skilling approach
The Steering Committee, made up of the PMU, BUSA and the Presidential Climate Commission, is the decision-making authority on key issues of content developed. Their ultimate role is to guide the synthesis of the overall recommendations to JET Desk
The Advisory Board has a broad set of stakeholders including representatives from academia, industry councils, labour and skilling associations. This board provides commentary on key technical and methodological topics to enable high quality outcomes for the JET SEP.
Central to the ongoing discussions are the Working Groups. These groups provide foundational input to content development and support subsequent implementation, with support of Core Project Team and other technical experts. Solar, Transmission, Green Hydrogen, Energy Efficiency, Wind, Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) and New Electric Vehicles are the critical sectors guided by the JET IP Skills Chapters.
High-level deliverables
The JET SEP has three phases, with phase one currently underway. By the end of phase one, the following will have been achieved:
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