Net Zero Investment Plan
Area 6: Invest in skills and workforce (10.5%)
Unlocking Europe’s decarbonization potential requires mapping training needs, expanding training capacity, and launching awareness campaigns to cultivate a skilled workforce for sustainable transportation.
Investment Areas
Skills and Workforce Priorities
Mapping training needs and training capacities
Increasing existing training capacity
Awareness Campaigns
Developing a skilled workforce is essential for successfully decarbonising the transport sector. Addressing skills shortages, promoting job creation and enhancing training capacity are key priorities requiring coordinated efforts from the EU institutions, Member States and industry stakeholders.
- Mapping training needs and training capacities
The EU institutions and Member States must undertake a comprehensive skills mapping exercise to identify gaps and assess the needs for jobs and skills in various sectors. This should encompass both the traditional and new skills required to deliver decarbonisation. Based on the gaps identified, tools should be developed to publicise available training opportunities and instigate new training programmes where necessary.
- Increasing existing training capacity
To meet the growing demand for skilled workers, there should be investment in increasing training capacity, including improving Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools and recruiting suitably qualified teachers. Urgent action is needed to address the time required to adequately train workers, in order to ensure the steady supply of skilled labour for industries transitioning to sustainability. By enhancing training infrastructure and resources, Europe can build a workforce with the ability to advance the energy transition. Initiatives such as the ‘Net-Zero Academy’ can serve as role models for supporting skills development initiatives across Europe.
- Awareness Campaigns
Investment in awareness campaigns is crucial for attracting greater numbers of workers to technical jobs and education, particularly in those sectors undergoing energy transition. Such campaigns should target young people, to cultivate their long-term interest and engagement in sustainable professions. By raising awareness of the opportunities available in decarbonisation sectors, Europe can inspire the coming generation of skilled workers and drive innovation in clean technologies.