A recent study has warned that a shortage of skilled workers in Germany threatens to slow the transition to renewable energy.
The Bertelsmann Foundation analysed the readiness of traditional crafts for energy transition tasks, and the analysis showed that there is already a skills gap with a shortage of skilled workers estimated at around 300,000.
lack of skill
Using roofs as an example, workers who can skillfully build single-family home roofs do not necessarily have the skills required to install rooftop PV systems.
According to the organization’s analysis of 2.7 million online job advertisements, one in four roofers is wanted by solar companies.
The analysis indicated that the matching rate for skills required in the roofing sector between the traditional construction sector and the solar-powered construction sector is 0.71 degrees, and if there is a 100% match, the value will be 1 degree, according to the analysis’ authors.
Employers expect roofers to have experience with solar thermal energy, photovoltaic systems, and installation of roofing technology.
In the wind energy sector, the skills required are higher, with the analysis authors indicating that the skill matching rate is 0.77, while for skilled construction electricians the rate is even lower at 0.64.
The analysis indicated that the core competencies of skilled construction electricians in the wind energy sector are the operation and maintenance of wind turbines, explaining that traditional construction electricians are primarily required to perform electrical installations and assemble electrical technologies.
Different requirements
“The strong differences in skill requirements within an occupation show that looking at the number of workers alone is not enough,” said Jana Fingerhut, labour market expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation. “We not only need more skilled workers, they also need the right skills for the tasks in the wind and solar energy sector. These skills have to be learned first.”
She explained that the energy transition sectors will need more targeted training aimed at both people who have completed vocational training and those who have professional experience but no recognised qualifications.
Sectors affected
The skilled workers index, developed by the German development bank KfW in cooperation with the Ifo Institute for Economic Research, showed last month that 35% of companies believe that the lack of suitable workers is hampering their business activities, down 1% compared to January.
The problem is more severe in the services sector than in most other sectors, with the level of damage above the average of 42%, negatively affecting 71% of companies operating in these sectors.
In the industrial sector, only 25% of companies are affected by a shortage of skilled workers, which is much lower than in the services sector, but still three times the long-term average.
In the retail sector, the percentage reached 28%, and in the construction sector, 27%.
On average, small firms are slightly less affected than large firms, and the West is less affected than the East.
Welcoming culture
Leading German business associations have stressed the need to adopt a “welcoming culture” in order to overcome the skilled labor shortage crisis.
“The message must be: We look forward to welcoming you here in Germany, and there are many ways to do that. It starts with issuing a visa if someone wants to travel to Germany, and ends with providing housing and childcare centers,” said Peter Adrian, president of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, noting that “there are shortcomings in many areas here.”
