Trained professionals
Background
To run low-carbon steel plants and support the construction and functioning of enabling factors — such as enabling infrastructure — qualified, trained staff are needed.[1] This requires long-term planning to recruit, (re)train, and employ a sufficient number of people for the right position.
Low-carbon steel facilities use new technologies and infrastructure that staff need to learn how to work with. A lack of necessary infrastructure and resources could force some steel companies to relocate to more favorable locations.[2] However, such locations may have a shortage of qualified employees, due to lack of past exposure to the industry, making it difficult for facilities to run.
The construction and maintenance of steel plants, as well as enabling infrastructure, require an increasing number of trained staff, which, in turn, require a greater number of educational institutions in the field or that include curriculum in the field. Educational growth in this area is also highly interrelated with conditions for the growth of other fields, such as hydrogen and renewable energy. While a lack of trained professionals is not currently considered an active challenge for steel decarbonization, policymakers should keep capacity-building in mind when designing their steel decarbonization strategies.[3]
Policy Action
Policy targets to ensure sufficient trained professionals include:[4]
- Analyze national steel and energy infrastructure to understand current and future training needs and the number of professionals needed.
- Create strategies to support a just transition, including mitigation opportunities for social or employment impacts caused by relocations and technology changes.[5]
- If needed, create or promote training opportunities, either in collaboration with steel companies, or through the support of universities and training institutes.[2]
Examples and Case Studies
Overcoming the Energy Talent Gap
External Links
McKinsey Report Renewable Energy Development Talent Gap
Skills Shortage and the Energy Transition
Breaking Barriers in Deployment of Renewable Energy
References
- ↑ Seetharaman; et al. (2019). "Breaking barriers in the deployment of renewable energy". National Library of Medicine.
{{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|last=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 MPP (2022). "Making net-zero steel possible" (PDF). Mission Possible Partnership.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Swalec, Caitlin (February 2023). "Interview with Nele Merholz for "Breaking the Barriers to Steel Decarbonization - A Policy Guide"".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Merholz, Nele (2023). "Breaking the Barriers to Steel Decarbonization - A Policy Guide".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ IEA (2020). "Iron and Steel Technology Roadmap—Towards more sustainable steelmaking". International Energy Agency.
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