Photo: Retrieved from rmi.org
What do we need to accelerate the energy transition? You might say finance, enabling policies, or technology. While that is true, the most critical and essential need for the implementation of the transition is human resources. We need 30 million new and transitioned clean energy jobs in this decade to meet 2050 net-zero targets. Around 60 percent of the new jobs will require higher-level training.
The Caribbean — with its increasingly severe hurricanes and high energy prices and where energy resilience is critical — is one of the regions prioritizing elevating regional leadership. With access to abundant solar and other renewable energy resources, many Caribbean islands are implementing new solutions to a clean and resilient energy future. RMI’s Energy Transition Academy (ETA) is working with energy professionals from utilities and governments to advance the energy transition through the Global Fellowship Program.
The Fellowship Program is designed to facilitate experiential learning and peer collaboration among regional energy leaders and industry partners to create an ecosystem that can support and drive workforce training. The six-month program combines online learning focused on renewable energy project development, a self-driven Capstone Project, and an in-person Fellowship Summit including site visits and applied learning.