Powering Jobs: Quantifying the Energy Access Employment Opportunity

The Clean Energy Solutions Center hosted this webinar in partnership with Power for All to present findings of the Powering Jobs Census 2019. This is the first comprehensive census of the decentralized renewable sector and its role in creating direct jobs as well as productive jobs in the communities being electrified for the first time.

Unemployment is at crisis levels for many African and Asian countries, especially in rural areas. At the same time, nearly one billion people in rural communities live without access to electricity. Providing energy access via decentralized renewables to these communities could turn a double challenge into a huge job creation opportunity. Data show that energy access can create millions of new jobs, such as direct employment from decentralized renewable energy like mini-grids and off grid solar. These jobs can provide skilled middle-income work for men, women and youth in technology, sales, and management. More importantly, five times as many productive jobs are possible from new economic activity in communities being connected to power. The first annual energy access Powering Jobs Census spotlights this potential job engine. Participants in the webinar learn more about this chance to build the energy workforce of the future, and actions that policymakers, funders and the private sector can take to invest in the skills and training need to bridge the growing skills gap.

The webinar presentations were followed by an interactive question and answer session with the audience.

Presenter: Rebekah Shirley, Chief Research Officer, Power for All