Do we have the green job skills?
Some graduates still without opportunities
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), in collaboration with the Hans Seidel Foundation, released its fourth Green Hydrogen Monitor publication in Windhoek on Monday. The research publication, entitled ‘Will We Have the Skills?’, includes articles by IPPR research associate Frederico Links as well as the institute’s executive director, Graham Hopwood.
Links, who presented the publication at the House of Democracy, noted that the emerging green hydrogen sector will require expertise and highly skilled individuals. However, he highlighted deficiencies in the quality of education available in Namibia, as illustrated in the 4IR Task Force assessment of 2002 and the more recent Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report released in August.
“Namibia does not rank well in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education at basic and higher levels, nor in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training),” he said. According to Links, “The current skills situation already limits what Namibia can do and achieve,” adding that “reforms of the education sector are not happening at the necessary pace.”
The publication also references a Youth in Green Hydrogen alumni study, which paints a sobering picture, juxtaposing enthusiasm with frustration. “Many young people feel they are locked out. Corruption is already an issue, with elite privilege and capture of opportunities already being a feature in the sector,” he said.
According to him, the study shows that “those in power uplift their close circles, which discourages the youth from even trying to gain entry.”
Perceptions of who actually benefits shape the nature and quality of skills and capacity development in Namibia.
Perception vs Reality
However, Joseph Mukendwa, head of policy, planning, and strategy for the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGH2P), who attended the launch, said the perception does not reflect reality.
“I understand that elite capture and limited opportunities are perceived issues, but I have not experienced that. Graduates who remain unemployed may be affected by timing,” he said, referring specifically to beneficiaries of three cohorts of scholarship recipients sent to study green hydrogen-related subjects through the Namibian-German government partnership formalised in 2022. Of those who graduated after being sent to study in 2023, “some are employed, while some are without opportunities,” he admitted.
In 2023, 93 students were sent on scholarships, with another 90 in 2024, and a further group from Namibia’s southern regions sent earlier this year.
Mukendwa acknowledged gaps in the supply of labour for the green hydrogen industry in Namibia, particularly for NQF levels 4 and 5 qualification holders and STEM graduates. However, he said many Namibians already possess the necessary skills, though they may require certification, upskilling, or reskilling.
Upskilling required
The IPPR publication recommends upskilling academic and vocational training staff nationwide. Furthermore, the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) should establish a TVET faculty to train instructors to fill the gap in NQF levels 4–6 qualifications and to provide specialised short courses in green hydrogen-related skills.
Incubation and acceleration services for green hydrogen entrepreneurs are also needed, alongside specialised state-of-the-art training and research infrastructure within Namibia.
Mukendwa said the National Skills Task Force established under NGH2P will provide an “amazing opportunity” to address some of these concerns. The Task Force is scheduled to meet today, bringing together public and private sectors to assess existing and future projects in terms of skills and workforce requirements. “The task force will be in a better position to estimate the levels and quantities of skills needed,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that NGH2P will meet with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) next week to discuss the detailed implementation plan for turning the Keetmanshoop VTC into an energy centre, where green hydrogen-related skills can be developed.
Eline van der Linden, head of impact, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) at NGH2P, also attended the launch. She said that initial expectations that green hydrogen would provide hundreds of thousands of jobs for unemployed Namibians have since been tempered. “In the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), we estimate 30 000 jobs by 2030,” she said.
Links, who presented the publication at the House of Democracy, noted that the emerging green hydrogen sector will require expertise and highly skilled individuals. However, he highlighted deficiencies in the quality of education available in Namibia, as illustrated in the 4IR Task Force assessment of 2002 and the more recent Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report released in August.
“Namibia does not rank well in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education at basic and higher levels, nor in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training),” he said. According to Links, “The current skills situation already limits what Namibia can do and achieve,” adding that “reforms of the education sector are not happening at the necessary pace.”
The publication also references a Youth in Green Hydrogen alumni study, which paints a sobering picture, juxtaposing enthusiasm with frustration. “Many young people feel they are locked out. Corruption is already an issue, with elite privilege and capture of opportunities already being a feature in the sector,” he said.
According to him, the study shows that “those in power uplift their close circles, which discourages the youth from even trying to gain entry.”
Perceptions of who actually benefits shape the nature and quality of skills and capacity development in Namibia.
Perception vs Reality
However, Joseph Mukendwa, head of policy, planning, and strategy for the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGH2P), who attended the launch, said the perception does not reflect reality.
“I understand that elite capture and limited opportunities are perceived issues, but I have not experienced that. Graduates who remain unemployed may be affected by timing,” he said, referring specifically to beneficiaries of three cohorts of scholarship recipients sent to study green hydrogen-related subjects through the Namibian-German government partnership formalised in 2022. Of those who graduated after being sent to study in 2023, “some are employed, while some are without opportunities,” he admitted.
In 2023, 93 students were sent on scholarships, with another 90 in 2024, and a further group from Namibia’s southern regions sent earlier this year.
Mukendwa acknowledged gaps in the supply of labour for the green hydrogen industry in Namibia, particularly for NQF levels 4 and 5 qualification holders and STEM graduates. However, he said many Namibians already possess the necessary skills, though they may require certification, upskilling, or reskilling.
Upskilling required
The IPPR publication recommends upskilling academic and vocational training staff nationwide. Furthermore, the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) should establish a TVET faculty to train instructors to fill the gap in NQF levels 4–6 qualifications and to provide specialised short courses in green hydrogen-related skills.
Incubation and acceleration services for green hydrogen entrepreneurs are also needed, alongside specialised state-of-the-art training and research infrastructure within Namibia.
Mukendwa said the National Skills Task Force established under NGH2P will provide an “amazing opportunity” to address some of these concerns. The Task Force is scheduled to meet today, bringing together public and private sectors to assess existing and future projects in terms of skills and workforce requirements. “The task force will be in a better position to estimate the levels and quantities of skills needed,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that NGH2P will meet with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) next week to discuss the detailed implementation plan for turning the Keetmanshoop VTC into an energy centre, where green hydrogen-related skills can be developed.
Eline van der Linden, head of impact, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) at NGH2P, also attended the launch. She said that initial expectations that green hydrogen would provide hundreds of thousands of jobs for unemployed Namibians have since been tempered. “In the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), we estimate 30 000 jobs by 2030,” she said.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article