The European Comission has launched the ‘European Solar Academy’ which is designed to address a labour and skills gap.

The first in a series of EU Academies under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZ), the Solar Academy aims to train 100,000 workers in the solar PV value chain over the next three years.

The academy will consist of more than 40 online courses with 80 people to be involved in education and training.

The role of NZIA academies is to develop learning content and programmes together with the industry.

It is estimated that in the PV manufacturing sector, 66,000 skilled workers will be needed by 2030 for the EU to meets its ambitious renewable energy targets.

Following the successful European Battery Academy, the Solar Academy will design learning content together with parties within the industry.

The Battery Academy has provided education to 67,000 people, through 4,000 local training providers.

The new solar academy will also develop learning credentials, certifying the skills that people have learned in its training courses, while also boosting the mobility of the workforce across the EU.

The Net-Zero Industry Act NZIA was introduced to boost the manufacturing of net-zero technologies in Europe in support of the green transition.

The objective is to create better conditions to set up net-zero projects in Europe and attract investments, with the aim that the Union’s overall strategic net-zero technologies manufacturing capacity approaches or reaches at least 40% of the Union’s deployment needs by 2030.