On October 17th, Deborah Goeree gave a talk at "Energize Your Skills", held in Brussels, BE. The event, organized by NESSIE partner Flux50, was an opportunity for businesses to come and learn about how they can upskill their workers and adapt their business practices to keep up with the changing energy landscape. We were joined by nine other organizations working towards the same goal, to empower the energy transition through workforce development.
The day was full with informative talks, each showcasing unique strategies for building a skilled workforce, with a focus on using technology and digital platforms. A Flux50 project highlighted regional schools experimenting with VR training, allowing students to “install” solar panels and batteries in a virtual setting before practical training, which is proven to enhance learning retention and skill acquisition. In a talk by AMV-ELC - another Interreg project - an app had been developed to matchmake trainees and professionals looking for internships or work opportunities to companies in need, or students to local ET schools or programs according to their needs. A third talk presented the European Digital Innovation Hub - Energy in the Built Environment (EDIH-EBE) - a digital one-stop shop for small businesses and government organizations working within the energy sector to get training and access to resources. Each talk touched on one or more steps in the process of workforce development, with a lot of focus on the training portion.
Similarly, Deborah's talk explained the key pillars of NESSIE: recruitment, training, and work experience opportunities, with a focus on developing Short Advanced Courses (SACs), hands-on internships, and E-Campuses in local island communities in the North Sea. NESSIE aims to address the full funnel of entering the ET workforce, from getting more students in the door, to getting young professionals practical experience. Deborah talked about the project goals, approach, and progress, but also about the lessons learned and challenges faced so far, to share this experience with fellow collaborators in the same space and to support project success across the board.
Following the talks and workshops, attendees got to tour Flux50s battery experimentation facilities, where six sample self-sufficient houses with solar panels and batteries were set up to run experiments on energy storage and energy flow optimization through different algorithms under varying conditions. This closing event was a great reminder that in order to achieve energy transition goals, we need to consider both the technical as well as the social innovations.