Webinar "Growing Africa’s Energy Access Workforce of the Future"

Speaker:
Dr. Rebekah Shirley
Chief Research Officer, Power for All

 

Abstract:
Unemployment is at crisis levels for many African and Asian countries, especially in rural areas. At the same time, nearly one billion people in rural communities live without access to electricity. Providing energy access via decentralized renewables to these communities could turn a double challenge into a huge job creation opportunity. Data show that energy access can create millions of new jobs, such as direct employment from decentralized renewable energy like mini-grids and off grid solar. These jobs can provide skilled middle-income work for men, women and youth in technology, sales, and management. More importantly, five times as many productive jobs are possible from new economic activity in communities being connected to power. The first annual energy access Powering Jobs Census spotlights this potential job engine. Participants in the webinar learn more about this chance to build the energy workforce of the future, and actions that policymakers, funders and the private sector can take to invest in the skills and training need to bridge the growing skills gap.

 

Named Africa Utility Week’s 2018 Outstanding Young Leader in Energy, Dr. Rebekah Shirley is the Chief Research Officer at Power for All, where she works to improve access to high-quality data and insights for the energy sector. Her work explores models for integrated energy planning and opportunities for catalyzing decentralized energy markets in sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. Rebekah earned her PhD from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley where she also previously obtained her MSc. Energy and Resources and a MSc. Civil Engineering. She has over 12 years of experience in research, analysis and knowledge management. Rebekah was a University of California Chancellor’s Fellow and has won grants from institutions such as the Department of Energy, the Mott Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation that support her work. Rebekah is also a Visiting Research Fellow at Strathmore University, in Nairobi, Kenya, where she lives.

You can join the event by ZOOM: