The development of a resilient, future-ready workforce is essential to supporting Europe’s energy transformation. In the near future, Europe will face a significant labour shortage due to demographic shifts. At the same time, the transition from a fossil-based economy to one built on sustainable energy systems is accelerating the demand for skilled workers.

The EU’s Clean Industrial Deal highlights the need for a robust skills agenda, making workforce transformation a key pillar of Europe’s energy and industrial resilience. The sixth pillar of the deal, Skills and Talent, recognises that the success of the green transition depends on equipping workers with the right competencies for emerging industries. This includes targeted upskilling and reskilling efforts, ensuring that both existing and new workers can contribute effectively to the green economy. Without addressing this skills gap, Europe risks slowing down the deployment of renewable energy technologies and undermining energy security.

To successfully advance this transition, it is crucial to scale up and adapt the workforce’s skills, enabling people to contribute to renewable industries. This process must also ensure their adaptability in the broader transformation by acquiring so-called twin skills – those that combine digital capabilities with the competencies needed for a fossil-free future. For society to support key decisions driving the shift, everyone must be included and engaged. This principle is known as a just transition.

Workforce Transformation Drives the Energy Transition

Youth unemployment in Europe stands at 15.2%, significantly higher than the 6% average  for the general population (October 2025). Additionally, women are overrepresented in unemployment statistics. At Mentor to Impact, we strive to ensure that young people are not left behind during this transition. This is an opportunity to equip them with the skills needed for future careers in the renewable and digital economy, helping to build a workforce that supports energy resilience and innovation.

Young people are key to revitalising local communities undergoing long-term transformations, while upskilling the current workforce in industries facing closure must also remain a priority. At the same time, workers already employed in vulnerable sectors need targeted reskilling to transition into emerging roles — a key component of ensuring a fair and inclusive transformation.

To accelerate the shift to a renewable energy-based economy across Europe, we must succeed in:

• Upskilling and reskilling individuals and worker groups at risk of losing their jobs due to the energy transition.
• Equipping young people who are outside the job market with relevant skills to participate in a resilient and future-focused economy.
• Ensuring equal access to jobs, education, and opportunities for both men and women across Europe.

Read more insights on skills for the future job market.

Mentor to Impact’s mission is to serve as a bridge for education, businesses, and policy in finding solutions for a shift towards a low-carbon future.

Mentor to Impact is currently working on the Green Transition Academy project in Central Europe, in collaboration with Purkynka, a vocational education institution in Brno, Czech Republic. The project aims to develop skills needed for the shift to renewable energy and digital careers. By creating new curricula, the initiative draws on successful practices from Denmark’s education system and its experience in renewable innovation. The project is supported by the Villum Foundation.