Rome, 13th April 2023 - Re-skilling Lab, RES4Africa’s renewables-focused capacity building programme dedicated to communities in South Africa’s Mpumalanga coal region, successfully concluded the first phase of its pilot project by completing a training of 10 lecturers from Nkangala TVET College with a background in electrical engineering. The pilot is now entering its second phase, the training of learners.

The initiative aims to accelerate the mindset shift of the local community towards a sustainable economy, by enabling local education entities to include renewables-related modules among their core course offerings. The long-term goal is to enable the learners to pursue employment and self-employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector as South Africa transitions away from coal.

The pilot project, implemented in close partnership with the Energy and Water Sector Energy Training Authority (EWSETA), comprises three modules. These modules have been selected in close cooperation with RES4Africa's members and the local training provider to meet both the need for formal certification of the credits acquired and the skills requirements of the renewable energy labour market.

The kick-off of the second phase in mid-April will represent the start of an 18 month-long formally accredited education pathway for 25 selected electrical engineering students, who will complement their standard training background with extensive exposure to renewable energy competences available in Mpumalanga, including a 6-month internship in a renewable energy company.