InnoEnergy Skills Institute, one of Europe’s leading training skills providers for the sustainable energy workforce, has hit a milestone since its launch in February 2022. Led by EIT InnoEnergy, 50,000 learners have now undertaken training courses to gain skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving value chain. Trainings built in collaboration with the European Battery Alliance ranged from battery fundamentals to technical courses for knowledge in battery management systems, battery testing, safety and security. 

Markets within the value chain are showing significant growth potential, with annual demand for lithium-ion batteries projected to reach 4,700 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030 globally – an increase of more than six times the global usage figure of around 700 GWh in 2022. Stationary storage installations worldwide are also predicted to reach over 400 gigawatts by the end of 2030 – 15 times the battery storage capacity online at the end of 2021. 

As the sector continues to expand, employers and employees will need to adapt. Market analysis signals 800,000 workers will need to be trained or upskilled by the end of 2025 to meet the new demand in Europe. In addition, more than 700 unique job profiles and skills in the sector have been identified in a recent report by InnoEnergy Skills Institute. The range of occupations encompasses skills required to mine materials, design, manufacture, integrate within applications, decommission and recycle batteries.

The increasing growth trajectory of the Skills Institute has been facilitated by backing from 11 Member States and regions including Spain, France, Hungary, Gothenburg Region, Romania, Bulgaria, Flanders, Wallonia, Ireland, Slovakia, and partnerships with industry giants ManpowerGroup and NIIT. With 35 learning packages in 10 languages and an expanding network of 4000 Local Training Providers to deliver trainings, the number of trainers and learners is expected to continue exponentially increasing. 

Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission, Executive Vice-President, said: “We want our European industry to be leaders in the green transition. This of course include European manufacturers of sustainable batteries, whom as recently announced, we will support with financial aid of up to €3 billion. With this support, but also with the continuation of our efforts to prepare the workforce with skills for the evolving industry, we will bolster the competitive edge of our companies and secure a strong value chain for batteries. The European Battery Alliance skills programme serves as a successful blueprint for other sectors.”

Oana Penu, InnoEnergy Skills Institute, Director, commented: “EIT InnoEnergy firmly believes that enabling ecosystems is key to addressing skills gaps at scale.  Through the InnoEnergy Skills Institute we are mobilising both industry and training development partners as multipliers, we can successfully propagate knowledge to even more learners around Europe. At a critical moment for European industry, we aim to empower the workforce to be active participants in the net zero transition and ensure nobody is left behind.” 

Riccardo Barberis, ManpowerGroup’s Regional President of Northern Europe added: “We are delighted to congratulate every learner who has developed new green skills, yet especially pleased to reach the milestone of 50,000 courses completed. This program is an investment in people and the planet, creating opportunities for individuals to have meaningful careers that benefit us all. ManpowerGroup is proud to collaborate with InnoEnergy to build a pipeline of skilled talent who will support Europe’s transition to a net-zero future is not only smart business, but the right thing to do to help people level up their potential.”

To mark the occasion today at 11:30-12:30 CET, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, will award learning certificates to learners from five Members States – Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Romania and Sweden – who will each share their testimonies – and witness the achieved milestone of 50,000 upskilled workers. A livestream of the event can be accessed here.

The news comes as European Commission’s ‘European Year of Skills’ draws to a close, announced September last year, to support cross-sector workforce development to meet the skills demand required for sustainable growth, more innovation and to boost domestic companies’ global competitiveness.