The day began with an opening keynote speech by Martin Le Vrang from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL). In his address, he spoke about the issue of skills gaps in Europe, the need to focus on STEM professions, and the European Commission’s Union of Skills strategy aimed at building a robust European workforce. At the end of his speech, Mr Le Vrang stated; “We are looking forward to a future that is marked by rapid technological change and environmental responsibility.”
Following the opening remarks, participants were welcomed by representatives from the co-hosts SolarPower Europe and InnoEnergy. CEO of SolarPower Europe Walburga Hemetsberger praised the continued growth in the solar jobs sector despite setbacks, commenting; “The trajectory is clear, solar will be the biggest electricity source in Europe soon. Solar is really a huge job creator. It's not just about the energy, we are also bringing a lot of jobs to Europe.” InnoEnergy’s Skills Institute Director Oanu Penu spoke of a twin transition, the intersection of the energy and digital transition, and the necessity to build the skills infrastructure required to power this dual transition, stating; “We need to think of skills and talent infrastructure as a muscle for Europe.” She also touched on the human element of the solar jobs sector, commenting; “When we are talking about 865,000 jobs, that’s 865,000 people.”
The official launch of SolarPower Europe’s EU Solar Jobs Report 2025 served as the cornerstone of the day’s agenda. Christoph Lits, Market Analyst at SolarPower Europe, talked participants through the report’s key findings and remarked; “When an industry grows by 20 in 10 years, you need a lot of people (to accompany this growth) to produce, install and maintain those solar PV panels.” The report found that solar PV employment grew by 5% in 2024, employing 865,000 people. However, a decline of 5% is forecasted for the first time from 2024 to 2025, is associated with the rooftop segment experiencing a decline in 2025.
The session that followed featured a fireside chat between Walburga Hemetsberger and Daniela Santopolo, Policy Officer at DG EMPL. Santopolo shared insights into the European Commission’s Union of Skills strategy and emphasised the urgency of tackling the shortage of STEM professionals across Europe. The subsequent two sessions highlighted the progress achieved by various academies. Oana Penu from InnoEnergy presented the latest developments from the Net-Zero Industry Academies, underscoring the unique opportunity to position solar energy as the cornerstone of Europe’s energy mix. A panel discussion then explored the progress made by the European Solar Academy, with contributions from Jacob Piccagli (SolarPower Europe), Jacqui Wigg (InnoEnergy), Oier Bolibar (ESA Advisory Council), Minh-Huy Lai (Generation), and Arun Ramakrishnan (RCT Solutions).
In the afternoon, Jacob Piccagli, Project & Policy Officer at SolarPower Europe, led a session focused on solar training schemes, joined by Arun Ramakrishnan and Stanislas Pesic from Kolverr. The discussion centred on sharing best practices and insights from participants. The day concluded with a panel moderated by Kris Ignaciuk of the InnoEnergy Skills Institute, where Dimitra Maleka (InnoEnergy Skills Institute), Elise Bruhat (HoloSolis), and Kristi Ghosh (Trio Advisory) explored the future of solar jobs and workforce development.
The day wrapped up with a networking event, offering participants a chance to reflect on the discussions and exchange perspectives. Overall, the first Solar Jobs and Skills Day was a success, demonstrating that even with a slight dip in the market, the solar industry continues to rely on skilled professionals to drive its growth.
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