By Thapelo Molefe
South Africa’s skills authorities have warned that the country must urgently accelerate skills development for the green hydrogen economy or risk falling behind global competitors.
The warning was issued during a panel discussion at the 2nd Pan-African Green Hydrogen Skills Conference hosted by the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) on Friday, where Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), labour and industry leaders outlined the scale of training required for the emerging sector.
CHIETA Chief Executive Officer Yershen Pillay told the panel that South Africa cannot afford to wait for hydrogen projects before preparing the workforce.
Pillay said South Africa must “learn from the Manchester experience” in the United Kingdom, where infrastructure developed faster than local skills.
“They did not have a skilled workforce ready for green hydrogen… they are importing hydrogen skills in the UK. We don’t want to repeat that,” he said.
“What we’re doing now is preparing for the future so we avoid the Manchester issue in the UK.”
CHIETA announced that three national hydrogen qualifications have been registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
“We’ve developed three new qualifications… Green Hydrogen Technology Practitioner, Green Hydrogen Production Practitioner, and Green Hydrogen Fuel and Storage Transport,” Pillay said.
These form part of 17 priority skills identified from the national Green Hydrogen Skills Master Plan. Pillay said they are ready for implementation.
“If we don’t produce the green hydrogen, we can’t go to midstream and downstream… we need to make sure we develop the qualifications and prepare the workforce,” He added.
Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) Chief Executive Officer Maphefo Anno-Frempong said skills planning for hydrogen can no longer happen in isolation.
She said SETAs have now agreed to collaborate through the SETA Integrated High Impact Projects (SIHIP) initiative.
“We started recognising that silos are not the way to go,” Anno-Frempong said.
“The economy is not divided according to SETA divisions… all of us are needed to support skills development.”
Hydrogen was identified as the first joint priority under SIHIP.
Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) Chief Executive Officer Thabo Mashongoane said mine closures are forcing rapid reskilling, which is a central feature of the hydrogen workforce strategy.
“We went back… to capacitate and skill the people who used to work in these coal stations for their own livelihood,” he said.
“Some of those programmes are going to include renewable energy and the green hydrogen economy.”
But he warned that trained workers often remain unemployed.
“We prepare skills, but then there’s no work… not all industries are on board.”
Delegates raised concern about collapsing artisan enrolment numbers, warning that the hydrogen workforce cannot be built without repairing the foundation of the skills pipeline.
“We had an APB target of 20,000 artisans… based on two quarters we’ve only enrolled 6,000, and some SETAs are reporting zero,” a delegate said.
They added that “we’re not actually working collaboratively and holding each other accountable.”
Pillay said the system is failing to provide adequate workplace exposure for trainees, even when qualifications are completed.
“We don’t necessarily have a skills gap, we have an experience gap,” he said.
“You can have the best civil engineer, but without 24 months’ experience in a high-risk plant, they will not be employed.”
He added that certain hydrogen-relevant trades remain in high demand.
“We graduated 80 coded welders… they didn’t even come collect their certificates, they went straight into jobs.”
Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) Acting Chief Executive Officer Robyn Vilakazi said Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges will play a central role in delivering hydrogen skills at scale.
“TVETs are going to play a very important role,” she said, noting that EWSETA is working with local and international partners to reconfigure curricula.
She added that hydrogen skills planning must not exclude vulnerable groups.
“We’ve learned from renewable energy… we must ensure women, SMMEs and persons with disabilities are not left out,” Vilakazi said.
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