The government of Denmark will be actively helping the renewable energy (RE) sector of the Philippines for the upskilling and reskilling of at least 50,000 Filipino workers who can then be employed not just domestically but also for overseas energy markets; and that is in line with the greater goal of repositioning the country as the ‘Asian hub’ for offshore wind industry workers.

According to Denmark Ambassador to the Philippines Franz-Michael Mellbin, the plan is to firm up about 5 to 10 certifications that will be backed by prestigious international organizations for the enhancement of technical skills of the targeted workforce in flourishing RE businesses.

“We’ll create 50,000 jobs for Filipinos in the renewable energy sector. We’re taking initiatives and the idea is that: first of all, Philippines would be needing its own workforce that can build all of these solar farms and windmills and run them; and there would also be a need for these people globally,” he expounded.

The ambassador indicated that between 5 to 10 certifications are currently being sorted; and the target is to engage top-tier organizations – prescriptively the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) - to underwrite them; while partnership with academic institutions is similarly explored as added option.

“The global wind associations, IRENA, potentially also ILO will underwrite the certificates and then any school, technical facility or university can then offer courses either for reskilling or full educational course to bring people through these,” he stated.

The ambassador further explained “the idea is to make a globally recognized certificate, so if you would have this certificate, it is recognized by the wind industry or the solar industry worldwide – and once these people would be taking these certificates, then they could be employed around the world at renewable energy projects.”

Mellbin asserted “I believe we can employ 50,000 Filipinos in jobs like that in the RE sector – it’s like what we do in the shipping industry. Inspired by the fact that a lot of Filipinos are working for international shipping companies as seafarers, I said that maybe we can also reskill or educate a number of Filipinos for the global energy transition.”

He qualified “there’s a need for more than one technical skill, like for electricians or people who will build the facilities at sea for offshore wind, etc, so some people may also operate wind mills, so it shall be handful of certificates, it could be up to 10 – or between 5 to 10 certificates.”

In many energy markets around the world, he emphasized that there is already niggling shortage of technically-skilled workers for the RE industry, hence, the upskilling and reskilling of Filipino workers will be a very viable opportunity for them to be qualified for the massive green jobs being offered globally.

In Denmark alone, the ambassador noted that the calculated demand for technical workers in its renewable energy sector could top 168,000 people from this time and in the years ahead.

Mellbin said the Philippines is an ideal hub for globally-trained workers for the RE industry because many Filipinos are favorably inclined for overseas employments – similar to what is happening now in the shipping industry.

“These would be global certificates – and it will be developed here in the Philippines because of your expertise and experience with overseas workers, then they will be recognized globally. And since you have a tradition of working in other countries, that would be very important,” he stressed.

He further opined that “the shipping industry, the oil and gas industry and the offshore wind industry are all cousins – there are a lot of overlapping skills between these groups. For the Philippine labor market, you have a lot of ex-seafarers; a lot of them came back and opted to stay in the Philippines, so this reskilling would offer them opportunity to gain new employment in the RE projects.”