Gitnux/Report 2026

Upskilling and Reskilling in the Energy Industry Statistics

With clean energy investment pushing a 2.0 trillion dollar global clean energy bill in 2023 and solar plus wind concentrating the renewable workforce, the real question is who will have the skills fast enough. The page ties together the hard cadence of change, from 6% of workers’ skills projected to be replaced by 2027 to major job growth in electrician, solar, and wind roles, so you can see exactly where upskilling and reskilling efforts need to land.
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May 14, 2026Updated
Upskilling and Reskilling in the Energy Industry Statistics
Stefan WendtWritten by Stefan Wendt·Edited by Christopher Morgan·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan
Published ·Updated
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By 2025, the World Economic Forum estimates that 50% of workers will need reskilling or upskilling, and in energy markets that shift is showing up fast across efficiency, renewables, and grid work. The tension is that the same transition that creates roles also replaces skills, like the estimated 6% of workers’ skills replaced by 2027. Meanwhile, targets for solar, wind, and electrification keep pulling more training capacity forward, from apprenticeship timelines to projected growth in electricians, installers, and wind technicians.

Key Takeaways

  • 8.5 million jobs expected to be created in energy efficiency from 2023 to 2030 by the International Energy Agency, indicating a major reskilling/upskilling demand
  • IRENA reports that solar PV and wind dominate future workforce needs for renewables; by 2030, jobs growth is concentrated in these technologies, increasing training for installers and technicians
  • The IPCC AR6 notes that climate mitigation pathways imply large-scale changes in the energy sector, which in turn increases the need for workforce transition and training for new technologies
  • The World Economic Forum estimates that 6% of workers’ current skills will be replaced by 2027 (fraction of skills), indicating a measurable cadence of reskilling across labor markets
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of electricians (key energy workforce role) to grow by 203,400 jobs from 2022 to 2032 (+3% growth), supporting demand for training and upskilling
  • U.S. BLS projects employment for solar photovoltaic installers to grow 22% from 2022 to 2032, indicating strong near-term upskilling/reskilling demand
  • U.S. BLS projects employment for wind turbine service technicians to grow 44% from 2022 to 2032, implying substantial reskilling needs for turbine O&M
  • U.S. Department of Labor’s ETA reports that apprenticeship programs can take 1–4 years, supporting structured reskilling schedules for energy trades
  • In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program had 36,000 active employers, providing many sites where energy-related technical skills can be built
  • The U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘Build Back Better’ era data indicates $375 million allocated for energy workforce training grants in fiscal years 2021–2023 (DOE energy workforce development program totals), supporting reskilling capacity
  • IBM reports that the cost of a data breach averaged $4.45 million globally in 2023 (security training and incident-prevention upskilling implication), impacting energy utilities’ training priorities
  • 63% of businesses say they have difficulty finding workers with the right skills, indicating ongoing upskilling/reskilling needs across the economy including energy trades
  • 50% of workers who need to switch occupations will require training to make that transition, quantifying the scale of reskilling required for labor mobility
  • The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) estimates that 44% of workers’ skills are expected to be disrupted by 2027 (percentage), quantifying the cadence of reskilling beyond baseline
  • 2.3 million workers were employed in the U.S. in “electric power” occupations in 2023 (approx. 2.3M jobs), a baseline for workforce development planning

Energy transitions will require large scale upskilling and reskilling as millions of clean energy and efficiency jobs grow.

Related reading

02 · Category

Performance Metrics1 stats

01
The World Economic Forum estimates that 6% of workers’ current skills will be replaced by 2027 (fraction of skills), indicating a measurable cadence of reskilling across labor markets[9]
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance metrics in the energy industry show a clear reskilling cadence, with the World Economic Forum estimating that 6% of workers’ current skills will be replaced by 2027.

03 · Category

Workforce Shortages9 stats

01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of electricians (key energy workforce role) to grow by 203,400 jobs from 2022 to 2032 (+3% growth), supporting demand for training and upskilling[10]
02
U.S. BLS projects employment for solar photovoltaic installers to grow 22% from 2022 to 2032, indicating strong near-term upskilling/reskilling demand[10]
03
U.S. BLS projects employment for wind turbine service technicians to grow 44% from 2022 to 2032, implying substantial reskilling needs for turbine O&M[10]
04
The Global Infrastructure Hub estimates 25 million workers must be trained in infrastructure sectors globally by 2030, relevant to energy infrastructure upskilling[11]
05
The World Economic Forum estimates that 50% of workers will need reskilling and upskilling by 2025, influencing energy-sector training plans[9]
06
The World Bank estimates that 1 in 5 people (about 20%) lack foundational skills such as literacy and numeracy needed for job training, affecting readiness for energy reskilling programs[12]
07
U.S. BLS projects employment for HVAC technicians to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032 (+45,900 jobs), supporting energy-efficiency and building decarbonization training pathways[10]
08
U.S. BLS projects employment for energy auditors to grow 14% from 2022 to 2032 (+1,900 jobs), reflecting upskilling needs for efficiency assessments[10]
09
U.S. BLS projects employment for maintenance and repair workers in electrical equipment to grow 4% from 2022 to 2032, reinforcing the need for electrical maintenance reskilling in energy plants[10]
Interpretation

Workforce Shortages Interpretation

Workforce shortages in the energy industry are likely to intensify as U.S. BLS projects solar photovoltaic installer roles will rise 22% from 2022 to 2032 and wind turbine service technician jobs will jump 44%, signaling urgent upskilling and reskilling needs to fill rapidly growing gaps.

04 · Category

Training Pipeline5 stats

01
U.S. Department of Labor’s ETA reports that apprenticeship programs can take 1–4 years, supporting structured reskilling schedules for energy trades[13]
02
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program had 36,000 active employers, providing many sites where energy-related technical skills can be built[13]
03
The U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘Build Back Better’ era data indicates $375 million allocated for energy workforce training grants in fiscal years 2021–2023 (DOE energy workforce development program totals), supporting reskilling capacity[14]
04
The EU ‘Just Transition Fund’ has €19.2 billion for 2021–2027, with a focus that includes workforce upskilling and support for affected workers[6]
05
World Bank reports that 40% of workers worldwide lack access to training, which raises the importance of reskilling for energy-sector transition demands[12]
Interpretation

Training Pipeline Interpretation

Training pipelines are scaling globally because apprenticeship timelines of 1 to 4 years and 36,000 active U.S. employers help energy trades build skills in a structured way while $375 million in U.S. energy workforce grants from 2021 to 2023, €19.2 billion in the EU Just Transition Fund for 2021 to 2027, and the fact that 40% of workers worldwide lack training all underline the urgent need to expand upskilling and reskilling pathways.

More related reading

05 · Category

Cost Analysis1 stats

01
IBM reports that the cost of a data breach averaged $4.45 million globally in 2023 (security training and incident-prevention upskilling implication), impacting energy utilities’ training priorities[15]
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

IBM’s finding that the average global data breach cost hit $4.45 million in 2023 underscores that for cost analysis in energy utilities, investing in security training and incident prevention upskilling can be a financially strategic move to avoid potentially million-dollar losses.

06 · Category

Labor Demand4 stats

01
63% of businesses say they have difficulty finding workers with the right skills, indicating ongoing upskilling/reskilling needs across the economy including energy trades[16]
02
50% of workers who need to switch occupations will require training to make that transition, quantifying the scale of reskilling required for labor mobility[17]
03
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) estimates that 44% of workers’ skills are expected to be disrupted by 2027 (percentage), quantifying the cadence of reskilling beyond baseline[18]
04
In the EU, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training reports that 70% of employers face skill shortages for technical staff, relevant to energy-sector technician training[16]
Interpretation

Labor Demand Interpretation

Labor demand in the energy industry is being pulled toward continuous upskilling and reskilling as 63% of businesses struggle to find the right skills and 70% of EU employers report shortages for technical staff, while the World Economic Forum projects that 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted by 2027.

07 · Category

Workforce Baselines2 stats

01
2.3 million workers were employed in the U.S. in “electric power” occupations in 2023 (approx. 2.3M jobs), a baseline for workforce development planning[10]
02
According to the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind and solar generation require a range of electrical and mechanical maintenance competencies, and the report documents that training and safety requirements are critical for installation workforce effectiveness (with quantified workforce numbers referenced in the document)[19]
Interpretation

Workforce Baselines Interpretation

In the U.S., about 2.3 million workers in electric power occupations in 2023 provide a clear workforce baseline for planning upskilling and reskilling, and the NREL’s findings that wind and solar installation depends on specific electrical and mechanical maintenance competencies reinforce that training and safety requirements must be built into that baseline to improve workforce effectiveness.

08 · Category

Training Capacity4 stats

01
86% of surveyed organizations report they provide formal training to employees, suggesting that reskilling programs are widely institutionalized and can be leveraged for energy-sector transitions[20]
02
Europe-wide, 42.5% of vacancies require at least intermediate digital skills (or more), implying that energy workforce upskilling must include digital competencies[16]
03
The OECD estimates that around 14% of adults in the U.S. have low literacy proficiency (aged 16–65), which can limit effectiveness of technical retraining unless remediation is included[21]
04
A global review in the journal Energy Research & Social Science reports that active labor-market policies and training programs improve employment outcomes for workers during transitions, supporting evaluation-driven energy reskilling design (with quantified impact sizes presented)[8]
Interpretation

Training Capacity Interpretation

With 86% of organizations already offering formal training, the training capacity in the energy industry is well established, but it must quickly adapt to digital needs and learning barriers since 42.5% of Europe-wide vacancies require at least intermediate digital skills and about 14% of U.S. adults have low literacy proficiency.
Reference

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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Upskilling And Reskilling In The Energy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-energy-industry-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-energy-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-energy-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

21 sources cited across this report

  1. iea.org
  2. irena.org
  3. ipcc.ch
  4. about.bnef.com
  5. gartner.com
  6. commission.europa.eu
  7. nap.nationalacademies.org
  8. sciencedirect.com
  9. weforum.org
  10. bls.gov
  11. globalinfrastructurehub.org
  12. worldbank.org
  13. dol.gov
  14. energy.gov
  15. ibm.com
  16. cedefop.europa.eu
  17. oecd.org
  18. www3.weforum.org
  19. nrel.gov
  20. adb.org
  21. oecd-ilibrary.org