Energy Technology Workforce to Grow to 20,000 by 2030... Accelerating Carbon Neutrality

By 2025, a total of 8,000 personnel will be trained, including 3,000 research staff and 5,000 field experts

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The government plans to nurture 8,000 energy technology personnel for carbon neutrality by 2025 and 20,000 by 2030. As the energy industry undergoes decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization, the demand for technical personnel in efficiency improvement, power systems, and renewable energy is increasing, but there is a shortage of high-level, convergent, and regional talent supply.

On the 22nd, the government approved and announced the "Plan for Nurturing Energy Technology Personnel for Carbon Neutrality" at the 22nd Job Committee meeting held at the Korea Press Center.

To nurture energy technology personnel, the government supported 145.4 billion KRW in the energy personnel training project over the past four years (2017?2020), cultivating 4,563 technical personnel in the energy industry. However, according to the energy industry technical personnel survey, by 2030, there will be a shortage of about 20,000 technical personnel, including 7,558 master's and doctoral level and 12,787 bachelor's level personnel.

Accordingly, the government will invest 46.4 billion KRW in the 2022 energy personnel training project and up to 185.4 billion KRW to respond to industrial structure transformation, nurturing 3,000 research personnel and 5,000 field experts by 2025.

Specifically, to nurture high-level technical personnel, the current five Energy Innovation Research Centers and five Energy Convergence Graduate Schools will be expanded to more than 10 and 15, respectively, by 2025. When designing the curriculum for the Energy Innovation Research Centers, direct matching between employed engineers and master's/doctoral students will be implemented, and direct lectures by corporate experts at the Energy Convergence Graduate Schools will be expanded to strengthen the linkage between corporate technical personnel demand and supply. A global human exchange network will also be established through joint research with overseas research institutions, domestic degree programs for public officials from partner countries, and technology and personnel exchanges in core carbon neutrality technology fields with leading countries such as the United States and Australia.

Additionally, support for employment-linked hub universities will be expanded from the current eight to more than 13. New curricula in industrial fields with high contributions to carbon neutrality will be supported for personnel requiring technical capability conversion, and training support through public-private cooperation will be expanded to nurture field experts. To supply regional talent, the formation of an "Energy Transition Cooperative University" among employment-linked hub universities centered on energy industry convergence complexes is also under consideration.

Furthermore, by 2025, the budget investment ratio for five future promising energy sectors will be increased from the current 57% of the Ministry of Industry and Energy's energy personnel training project budget to over 80% (48.5 billion KRW). A technical personnel survey will be conducted every two years, and the "Energy Job Navigator (providing energy industry job information)" sector will also be expanded.

In addition, the 'Energy Innovation Talent Forum' will be held twice a year (April and October) to expand recruitment opportunities for energy innovation talents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.