If we are not careful, in ten years or so we will be facing a huge shortage of technical talent in the energy sector in Lifeport Regio Arnhem Nijmegen. That is the difficult message that education, government and business are bringing us. But fortunately, there is also light shining at the end of the tunnel. With the Energy Talent Plan, the parties have developed a strategic, regional cooperation programme to counter future shortages now.
We spoke about this Talent Plan with Dr Sarah Detaille, associate lecturer in Labour Market & Education at HAN University of Applied Sciences, and Adam Galijašević, programme manager for Human Capital in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region at The Economic Board.
A good connection between education and the labour market is essential for the success of the technical sectors and the energy transition. But without action, the shortages risk increasing dramatically over the next decade. Moreover, making the right use of the available talent is a challenge, says Galijašević.
"The Energy Talent Plan addresses the large shortage of technical talent in the energy sector so that the energy transition can be accelerated."
Professorship Human Capital Innovations
Dozens of regional businesses, educational institutions and public authorities are working together under the leadership of The Economic Board within a broadly supported Human Capital Agreement. This agreement supports the various parties in addressing their human
capital challenges. How this plays out is, of course, being closely examined. Detaille: “Over the coming year, HAN’s Human Capital Innovations research group will be assessing the impact of the Human Capital Agreement and the resulting programmes, such as the Energy Talent Plan and the Lifeport Semicon Talent Plan.”
"The Energy Talent Plan addresses the large shortage of technical talent in the energy sector so that the energy transition can be accelerated."
Co-creation is crucial
Educational institutions, governments and industry are still not fully aligned. And yet they desperately need each other: education needs work experience places, the government benefits from ample employment and sufficient personnel for social tasks, the business community is looking for well-trained talent. But it is no longer enough to wait in your own cocoon for others to do something. Those days are over, Detaille concludes. "To make it all fit together requires customisation, and you achieve that through intensive consultation and structured cooperation. That co-creation of the three parties is crucial!"
Energy Talent Plan
Hence: the Energy Talent Plan. This plan focuses on recruiting, training, retraining, retaining and attracting talent for the energy sector. Galijašević: "That industry has a strong presence in the region, but faces a high demand for professionals over the next decade: around 15,000 additional professionals are expected to be needed, from mechanics to system architects." The Energy Talent Plan is needed to reduce the shortage of technical talent. Moreover, the plan focuses on stimulating innovation, training innovative profiles and new skills and knowledge to accelerate the energy transition. "In this way, the Arnhem-Nijmegen region can remain a frontrunner as an energy hotspot in the Netherlands."
Objectives
The plan brings together educational institutions (mbo, hbo, wo), companies and governments, Detaille explains. "They align training and learning paths, develop innovative programmes and encourage initiatives such as job-matching platforms, internships and events to engage and (re)train talent early." Galijašević adds: "This will make more technical talent available for the energy sector, strengthen the region's leading position in this field and accelerate the energy transition through sufficiently qualified professionals."
"To make it all fit together requires customisation, and you achieve that through intensive consultation and structured cooperation."
Technical talent for the energy transition
A sustainable connection between education and the labour market requires structural cooperation, flexibility in training programmes and intensive involvement of companies. Detaille: "This is the only way to train and retain sufficient technical talent for the energy transition."
Credit: This article can be found on Kijk op Arnhem Nijmegen
