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Investment in renewables are providing careers for a new generation
3 September 2019
Things are happening for renewable energy and job creation in Atlantis, South Africa, with the launch of the special economic zone (SEZ) for green technologies in 2018. The Atlantis SEZ has started gaining momentum, creating more than 312 jobs and attracting ZAR680 million in green-technology investments.
However, the expected investment in Greentech and renewable energy will require a wide range of technical competencies, specifically artisans and tradesman, but also supervisors as well as semi-skilled labour, according to Ursula Wellmann, Atlantis SEZ skills and stakeholder manager.
It will take a concerted drive from all renewable energy stakeholders to further develop specialist and training facilities to secure the skills that Africa needs for a low-carbon future.
But, renewable energy manufacturing initiatives attract larger ecosystems around them, including training facilities. West Coast College, a local technical vocational education and training college, has been formally recognised by the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association to provide solar PV installer training. And in 2018, the country’s flagship renewable energy training facility, the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) was officially launched at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to expedite specialised industry-related and accredited training programmes.
Over the 20 years the zone is likely to attract ZAR3.7 billion of investment by manufacturers of wind blades, smart meters, batteries, wind turbines, solar water heaters, solar PV, and other players in the waste, Agri-processing, water technology, gas and value chains. If these investments are realised, they could create nearly 3000 new job opportunities by 2030.
Read the full article on the Investment in renewables are providing careers for a new generation here: ASEZ_Energy Decisions
