On October 23rd, EuropeOn and its colleagues from the Electrification Alliance met with the Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and unveiled their new ‘Electrification Manifesto’.
The document highlights the need for an Electrification Action Plan by the first 100 days of the incoming European Commission’s mandate. It also calls for a target of 35% electrification of final energy use across the EU by 2030, urges Member States to include electrification in their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and advocates for more investments in electricity grids and in direct and smart electrification, including for end-users.
However, fully qualified workers will be essential to achieve a decarbonised energy system and deliver the efficient, clean, and safe electrical installations we need. To this end, the Alliance’s manifesto emphasises the need to attract more people to technical education and careers and suggests actions to enhance the sector’s appeal for skilled workers.
The EU must focus on skills
More electrification will translate into new job opportunities and an increasing need for specific professional figures and skills. Thus, attracting new worker and focusing on the development of their skills will be crucial. Julie Beaufils, EuropeOn’s General Secretary, specifically underlined this during the presentation of the new manifesto.
“With accelerated electrification, there are tremendous numbers of new jobs to create at the local level for the decades to come”, she explained. “Meanwhile, a rising number of students and job seekers aspire to purposeful and entrepreneurial missions that have a concrete impact on society… but they hardly ever consider becoming an electrician. We need policymakers and all leaders to start valuing and prioritising technical education and careers in electrification because the opportunities are plenty, long-term and thrilling.”
How electrification can and is already changing the job market has been thoroughly described in the recent report released by the Electrification Alliance. In its analysis, the association also points out a series of professional figures that will be increasingly in demand, such as electrical contractors, electric vehicle professionals, wind and digital workers, grid expansionists, heat pump technicians and solar specialists.
The European Electrification Award
During the meeting with Commissioner Simson, the Electrification Alliance introduced its new “European Electrification Award’’. Simson was the first recipient of the prize, a recognition for her “outstanding contributions to accelerate the direct electrification of Europe’s economy”.
Visiting Audi Brussels
EuropeOn and the other members of the electrification alliance were able to attend a guided tour of the site that hosted the event, the Audi factory in Brussels. There, the firm’s electric vehicles are manufactured and shipped to all corners of the world. This reality is committed to achieving net CO₂-neutrality by employing green energy and producing the latter autonomously through up-to-date solutions, like the 107,000 m² of solar cells on its roofs.
