The Philippines is all set to power up with its grand target for renewable energy (RE) investments, but the missing plug is a workforce that can match the tempo of the industry’s lightning-fast spin.
The Wind Energy Developers Association of the Philippines (WEDAP), led by Atty. Poch Ambrosio; the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA), chaired by Ms. Tetchi Cruz-Capellan; and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), headed by Ann Francisco in the Philippines, have all rallied behind the urgent need to upskill, right-skill, and reskill the workforce across the RE supply chain. With the sector poised to soar like a solar panel in a heatwave, the Department of Energy's strong push for energy transition (as laid out in the 2020-2040 National Renewable Energy Program) will certainly propel the country's green energy future at full throttle.
In fact, the solar industry is already feeling the strain on manpower—particularly when it comes to technically skilled installers—while the offshore wind sector is still scrambling to catch up, with a workforce that's not yet fully equipped to handle projects already taking flight from blueprints.
The urgent call from RE players in the Philippines inspired Denmark's Ambassador to the Philippines, Franz-Michael Mellbin, to take on the pivotal challenge of advancing the Jobs4RE initiative—a high-priority mission to equip the nation's workforce with the skills needed to power its booming RE sector.
Danish companies – like Copenhagen Energy (CE) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) – are injecting massive investments into the Philippines' red-hot RE industry—primarily as frontrunners in the up-and-coming offshore wind sector—but Ambassador Mellbin's Jobs4RE mission goes beyond benefiting these companies. He has taken it as a personal crusade to tackle the country's RE workforce challenge, fully believing that the Philippines has the potential to lead in the RE revolution – much like its transformative role in the global marine industry for seafarers.
Global alliances and the ripple effect of green jobs' upskilling
To date, the Danish Ambassador has been forging powerful alliances between the Philippines and global industry movers like the Global Wind Organization (GWO) and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – not just to speed up the upskilling of Filipino RE workers, but to unlock their access to coveted international certifications. This will ensure that their expertise won't just stay local, but will also be primed to power other RE markets across the globe.
“JOBS4RE is proving results…more will be added in the coming year,” he said with an air of excitement and high hopes for the future. As the Ambassador emphasized, this initiative is more than just filling jobs—it's about empowering a generation of workers who will drive global change.
"Government, industry and the educational sector need to work together to ensure that the Philippines can make the most of the many opportunities for jobs and economic growth in this exciting, high-potential sector,” he noted.
One recent groundbreaking initiative under the Jobs4RE banner was a wind industry workforce development forum hosted by Buhawind Energy Philippines (BEP), a joint venture between Yuchengco's PetroGreen Energy Corporation and Danish partner Copenhagen Energy (sponsor of a 2.0-gigawatt offshore wind project in Ilocos Norte). That high-impact gathering brought together industry experts, investors, educators, and policymakers to brainstorm and forge future-focused strategies for upskilling and developing a robust workforce to fuel the offshore wind sector's rise.
BEP President Francisco Delfin, Jr. highlighted that the event “is just the beginning of long- term and society-wide collaborations to ensure that Filipino professionals and workers benefit from offshore wind energy projects.”
Separately, at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, one major milestone has been the announcement of the upcoming publication of the Jobs4RE Workforce Training Guidelines for the wind industry, a collaboration between IRENA and GWO. These guidelines will not only set the gold standard for excellence but will offer globally recognized certifications for workers, giving them the competitive edge to thrive on the world stage and help countries achieve net-zero ambitions.
According to IRENA data, the RE sector already employed 16.2 million people last year, a significant leap from 13.7 million in 2022. And with COP's ambitious goal to triple RE investments in a race against the climate crisis, the demand for green jobs is set to skyrocket, catalyzing unprecedented workforce transformation.
IRENA itself has stated that "a skilled workforce is essential for a successful energy transition and of particular significance for young people. Education and training do more than make individuals more employable. Skills development and lifelong learning are strategic imperatives for meeting climate objectives and ensuring a just transition."
With Jobs4RE paving the way for advanced training programs and global partnerships in the years ahead, the future looks not just bright—it's electrifying and ready to zap the RE workforce into a new era of unstoppable potential.
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