The renewables industry is growing exponentially, and so has employment in the PV sector. The PV sector has had a boom with respect to its early days, and while it generated economy-wide employment, the industry still faces several challenges. It still has to fight market barriers and boost integration, which depends on the public, private and academic sectors. We are developing a study focused on understanding which skills are needed for the top-growing positions to face these challenges.
Economic development strategies must be implemented to drive the industry in a way that both creates value and helps individuals and communities. Ultimately, this means that it is vital that all the players in this industry and in the economy are ready to create these conditions. They must push and defend climate-related efforts when needed, and adapt them to changing legislation, economies, and markets around.
In order to achieve this, the right talent must be recruited. We have identified 4 employment areas that are key to tackling the barriers in the PV sector. The areas with the most historical growth are installation and construction, manufacturing, sales & distribution, and operations & maintenance. Within these areas, there are over 120 different skills that determine whether a candidate is a good fit for a vacancy.
The study being conducted has shown that over 65% of the jobs in the industry have required technical abilities so far. This is mostly related to the size of the installation and construction area. However, the profiles within the sales & distribution, and the operations & maintenance areas require different skills. Therefore, employment in the PV sector would require either technical abilities or a combination of system skills, complex problem-solving skills, and content and social skills.
Recruiting based on the skills that each position needs could help the PV industry address its most pressing challenges head-on. The study we are working on will go into detail about which skills are crucial for recruitment within the PV industry. To learn more about the benefits of recruiting lateral talent based on skills, stay in touch through our website and social media.
