Opinion: Energy projects need a skills plan as well as financing

An IEA analysis published on 8 October 2026 said the energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean added about 750,000 workers between 2019 and 2025, with growing demand for skills in electricity, grids and solar energy.

In our view, a skills plan deserves an early place in discussions of energy projects. Announcing equipment and funding does not answer who will install, inspect, operate and maintain the systems.

Training programmes are more useful when linked to specific, transparent needs. Learners should understand the capability required, how to acquire it and where it could be applied. A certificate disconnected from practical work may not close the intended gap.

This is an editorial argument, not a promise of employment in a particular occupation. Practical competence and responsiveness to changing technology are better measures of success.