ILO moots renewable energy training project

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) with funding from SIDA has come up with a project aimed at enhancing training in renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE) in the SADC region. Speaking at a media breakfast at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka yesterday, ILO country director, George Okutho said in responding to the increasing energy demand and drive to pursue sustainable energy in Zambia and southern African region in general, ILO has collaborated with the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) to enhance the centre’s capacity. He said the project, Skills Development for Renewable Energy sector (SkiDRES), was aimed at bridging the skills gap in renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE) subsector in the the region. Mr Okutho said a pilot project had been working to develop and enhance partnership with the private sector, access market needs, develop and test demand- driven training to enable KGRTC to be a hub for sustainable provision of skills training in renewable energy and energy efficiency technology in the region. He said the project was going to contribute towards reduction in skills deficit through engagement with the private sector players and investors in the energy sector on designing skills and delivering training programmes. And Sweden disclosed that it will by 2024 contribute additional $1 billion for renewable energy investments in southern Africa aimed at ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services in Africa. Speaking at the same breakfast meeting, Energy programme manager at the Swedish Embassy, Magdalena Svensson said her country was committed to contribute to strengthened production of renewable energy for households and productive sectors. She said the Africa continent was rich in solar resources which it should advantage of to develop renewable energy efficiency and increase access. “Africa has the opportunity to pursue a much less carbon-intensive model of development than in many other parts of the world. She said over 600 million people in Southern Sahara Africa are energy underserved and would remain without access to electricity by 2030 and therefore there was need for a new approach to achieve theSustainable Development goal number seven onuniversal access to clean energy. Ms Svensson said persistent lack of access to electricity and unreliability of electricity supply in Africa was slowing down development on the continent.