Skills needs and gap analysis in Namibia’s PtX sector
The Namibian government's Hydrogen Strategy aims to
develop a supportive ecosystem for the green hydrogen
and Power-to-X (PtX) sectors, fostering innovation and
entrepreneurship. Skills development is key to equip Namibians with the necessary knowledge, expertise, and skills to participate in the green hydrogen and PtX industry, ultimately enhancing employability.
The needs and gap analysis explores the skills requirements in the PtX industry, identifies skills gaps and other education-related barriers in Namibia, and proposes actions to enhance the employability of Namibians.
Jobs and skills demands along the PtX value chain
The study takes a detailed look at direct job creation in green hydrogen production (PV, wind, battery storage, electrolysis), green hydrogen compression, storage and transportation, green ammonia production as well as hydrogen refuelling stations and fuel cell heavy duty vehicles. To get an overview, the analysis mapped the jobs and skills against the project phases from planning and design through to construction and operation.
Gaps in Namibia's education sector
Namibia’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF) consists of 10 Levels that range from basic literacy and numeracy skills to highly specialised postgraduate qualifications, encompassing a diverse range of competencies and knowledge. The country's Technical
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector with public, private and community-based training providers (TPs) offers mostly electrical qualification programmes registered from NQF Level 1 to Level 3 using a combination of Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) and modular courses. As one of a few TPs, the Eenhana Vocational Training Centre (EVTC) offers programmes on Solar Equipment Installation and Maintenance up to Level 5. The University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) as well as private universities provide higher education programmes falling into NQF Level 7 to Level 10.
The study identified a gap between vocational education training providers and universities in terms of levels: most training TP's stop at Level 3, so graduates from public vocational training centres cannot qualify for access to university. Moreover, the analysis of the Namibian TVET sector highlighted a lack of industry participation in apprenticeship programmes, formal qualification for trainers, adequate training equipment and clarity on content for PtX upskilling programmes. When it comes to the higher education, universities reported difficulties with finding lecturers, in providing adequate laboratory equipment for PtX courses and in coordinating with institutions such as government and other (vocational) education institutions.
Occupational groups along PtX value chains
The study clustered jobs into key occupational groups according to skills, areas of use, and approximate qualification levels. All jobs identified as being in demand for the green hydrogen and PtX sectors already exist in industry. In many cases, the base skills from these jobs need to be supplemented with a new PtX-specific skillset. Engineers (14%) and technicians and artisans (16%) with appropriate PtX skills will be in high demand, but it is the construction workers (45%) with either no formal qualifications or with qualification levels typically up to NQF Level 2 who will be needed in largest numbers.
