The Engine Behind Europe’s Solar Workforce
The Advisory Council
The European Solar Academy Advisory Council brings together experts from across the solar value chain to ensure workforce training reflects real-world needs. From manufacturing and deployment to operations and end-of-life, the Council ensures that education keeps pace with Europe’s clean energy goals.
Who is part of the Council?
The Advisory Council is composed of leading organisations and experts shaping the solar transition in Europe:
An EU‑mandated initiative led by the InnoEnergy Skills Institute, committed to transforming the EU workforce for the solar industry. The European Solar Academy drives initiatives across the solar PV value chain, equipping Subject-Matter-Experts and professionals with the skills to meet industry demands and lead the transition to a clean tech future.
Represented by Jacqui Wigg, Solar Learning Product Manager & Oana Penu, InnoEnergy Skills Institute Director
An industry body representing companies and research institutions driving domestic solar PV manufacturing. European Solar Manufacturing Council promotes policies that strengthen Europe’s energy autonomy, from raw materials to inverters.
Represented by Johan Johan Lindahl,
Advisor to the European Solar Manufacturing Council
A major award-winning link between policymakers and the solar PV value chain. Its mission is to ensure solar becomes Europe’s leading energy source by 2030. SolarPower Europe is the premier association for the European solar PV sector, uniting 300+ member organisations. In collaboration with members, it shapes regulations and business landscapes for solar’s growth. SolarPower Europe’s dedicated policy experts lead focused workstreams, addressing key issues and influencing legislation.
Represented by Walburga Hemetsberger,
CEO SolarPower Europe
Represented by a policy officer focused on skills and competitiveness, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion ensures training aligns with EU employment priorities and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Represented by Daniela Santopolo,
Policy Officer at the European Commission DG EMPL
The Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres brings together 35 leading research institutes and universities. Its mission is to promote and support the development of innovative technologies and human resources to enable a prompt transition to a sustainable energy system.
Represented by Nathalie Richet,
Senior Master Programme Manager
Javier Sanz Rodríguez is a high‑level expert leading InnoEnergy’s strategy in renewable energies, with decades of experience in energy innovation and commercialization. He’s a recognized voice in industry debates around Europe’s energy independence and clean‑tech scaling.
Javier Sanz Rodriguez,
Renewables Expert
A cross-sectoral strategist linking civil society, education, and workforce development. Oier ensures ESA’s work is inclusive, future-oriented, and responsive to social needs.
Oier Bolibar,
Solar Energy Advisor
What does the Council do?
The Advisory Council provides strategic direction across five core areas:
- Identifying priority job roles and workforce challenges in the solar sector
- Validating competencies and training frameworks to reflect actual hiring needs
- Shaping pan-European Solar PV Credentials
- Providing feedback loops between local realities and EU-level initiatives
- Guiding the design of inclusive, scalable training programmes across borders
Why was it created?
The Advisory Council addresses a critical gap in Europe’s solar skills system. Solar deployment is scaling rapidly, but training remains fragmented and outdated in many Member States. To meet the EU’s climate goals, Europe needs a highly skilled, mobile solar workforce. The Council was established to ensure that training efforts are anchored in industry demand, labour mobility, and regulatory context. Its work supports the European Solar Academy’s ambition to train over 100,000 learners within three years
Council members say
The European solar market faces falling margins, project delays, and a shortage of qualified workers, just as rapid deployment is most needed. The European Solar Academy is our strategic response, with the Advisory Council aligning training to industry needs to stabilise the sector, improve workforce readiness and lay the groundwork for long-term European resilience and competitiveness.”
The Advisory Council unites industry, education, and policy to address the solar skills gap. Through shared vision and trusted platforms, we can set standards, deliver quality training, and align with industry needs. Skills are both a challenge and an opportunity: with investment and coordination, we can create jobs, boost competitiveness, ensure safety, and accelerate the net-zero transition. A structural, long-term workforce strategy with strong EU-level coordination is essential.”
Skills are a core part of industrial resilience. They determine how fast Europe can respond to market shifts. The Council helps us plan for the workforce needed to scale manufacturing and build strong supply chains.”
We are seeing a stronger focus on skills that link directly to strategic value chains. The Academy and its Council are contributing to this by creating targeted solutions that support quality jobs, industrial strength, and labour mobility.”
We are not just building knowledge through courses. We are fostering confidence across the industry. The Council is essential in making that possible.”
The Council shapes the European Solar Academy’s agenda to ensure our skills strategy reflects industry and policy realities and turns them into action at the pace the energy transition demands. Without this collaboration, skills development risks becoming fragmented and reactive. The Council’s guidance aligns efforts into a coherent European strategy, ready for implementation.”
The European Solar Academy Advisory Council brings together experts from different fields, some with specific knowledge on the solar industry, and some with a broader perspective on the entire energy sector. Working together, we can ensure that the rapidly evolving skills needs of the solar workforce are anticipated and met across Europe. ”
What’s in it for the industry?
The Council offers members more than a seat at the table. It provides influence, foresight, and practical value:
- Direct impact on the skills agenda and training priorities
- Early insight into emerging trends such as AI, permitting reform, and recycling
- Shared solutions to workforce bottlenecks across Member States
- Alignment between training content and real hiring needs to reduce time-to-productivity
Are you a solar PV training provider or subject matter expert?
Join us in shaping the future of solar education. Whether you’re delivering training or bringing expertise from across the solar value chain, we want to hear from you. By acting swiftly and effectively, we aim to create impactful learning experiences that drive industry innovation, support workforce growth, and contribute meaningfully to the EU’s clean energy goals.
Green Talent Accelerator
Green Talent Accelerator is a transformative framework designed to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in clean tech. It connects role-specific skills, curated training, and industry-recognised certifications into a structured system — helping you develop faster and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Talent Pipeline as a Service
Talent Pipeline as a Service (TPaaS) is a flexible, end-to-end solution for recruiting, training, and certifying skilled clean tech talent. Turn hiring into a strategic advantage — scale your operations, close critical skills gaps, and tackle staffing challenges with confidence. Have talent on demand wherever and whenever you are.
Community Programmes
Community Programmes educate, inspire, and accelerate clean energy adoption. Through collaboration and awareness, we ensure community acceptance and industry alignment. As an EU partner, we turn policy into action, delivering the European Commission’s skills strategy to benefit citizens across Europe.
Latest resources
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Battery Fundamentals, Updated with Purpose
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Green Talent Accelerator: Turning Skills Intelligence into Workforce Impact
Bright Futures: Why Now’s the Time to Launch Your Career in Solar Energy
