Namibia enhancing job skills for the PtX ramp up

What will be the personnel needs in Namibian PtX industries? How to make sure the academic offer will meet the professional market requirements? And how will these responsibilities be distributed between the stakeholders involved? These were some of the crucial questions that brought together private and public actors to the Hydrogen Skills Workshop organised by the International PtX Hub team in Namibia.

To anticipate the future personnel needs, the event aimed to foster collaboration and understanding between relevant actors through discussions around the concept of PtX in Namibia. The shared challenges faced led to an unanimous agreement on the topics where research is required, beside confirming the need for continuing collaboration.

Educational opportunities and challenges with the PtX future in Namibia

The workshop offered a common space where private and public stakeholders from the PtX and educational sectors could meet and, together, define what will be the skills demanded in the Namibian PtX industries. Participants highlighted the opportunities for job creation, while identifying the challenges and prospects within the educational system. This brought a potential partnership to support skills development in the growing PtX industry in Namibia to the table. One of the key strategies was to promote the use of green hydrogen as a cornerstone for sustainable, economically viable, and inclusive growth, ultimately contributing significantly to the national development imperatives.

Common understanding between the government, educational institutions, and the private sector

In the collaborative spirit, participants shared their perspectives and learned more about each other’s role, while grasping the details of the green hydrogen and the PtX value chains. A wide variety of stakeholders including ministries, universities, research institutions, regulatory organisations, and private companies actively engaged in the discussions. Mr. Hafeni Motsi, a senior consultant at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) expressed his view on the initiative, suggesting that:

An entrepreneurial approach should be considered to make this endevavor more sustainable. By equipping employees with entrepreneurial skills, they can use this expertise if they should face unemployment.
Mr. Hafeni Motsi, Senior Consultant at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPD)

Next steps already on track

At the end of the workshop, the participants agreed on a common agenda, a roadmap that will guide future actions and collaborations in the country. The key principle is coordinated research: (I) to plan and identify the profiles and skills PtX projects will require in Namibia; (II) to develop mechanisms that will guarantee that this demand if fulfilled meeting inclusivity, local talent and expertise and; (III) to build a solid educational network that supports this effort. The participants also committed to repeat a similar workshop to develop feasible and comprehensive solutions through actively involving Namibian educational institutions, research organisations, governmental agencies, and the private sector in every step of the process.