The RESkill4NetZero project will take part in the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2026, contributing to the policy session “Building skills for a competitive renewable energy future“. EUSEW runs from 9 to 11 June 2026 in Brussels and online. The session takes place on 11 June 2026 at 14:00 CEST.
The discussion will examine how skills shortages slow renewable energy deployment. It will also look at how EU energy, industrial and skills frameworks translate into concrete skills demand across the renewable energy value chain. The Renewable Energy Skills Partnership, represented by GCP Europe, co-hosts the session with RESkill4NetZero, represented by InnoEnergy Skills Institute.
Skills shortages are a decisive bottleneck for renewable electricity, heating and cooling, energy storage, system integration and related construction services. The session will look at the tools that can help close that gap: technology-inclusive approaches, modular skills frameworks, recognition of prior learning, inclusion and diversity, SME participation and cross-sector training pathways.
Speakers
The discussion will open with a high-level policy framing. Contributions will come from:
- Eva Schultz, Member of Cabinet of Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu (People, Skills and Preparedness)
- Elias Paul, Head of Operations at InnoEnergy Skills Institute (Co-coordinator of RESkill4NetZero and Coordinator of the European Solar Academy)
- Mirek Pospisil, Public Policy & Economic Graph Lead (LinkedIn)
- Marina Casanova, Co-founder Women+ in Concentrated Solar
- Olivier Bardou, Director of Corporate Services, Energy Formation (GRDF)
- Pedro Dias, Deputy Managing Director Solar Heat Europe
- Oliver Jung, Secretary-General of GCP Europe and Co-coordinator of the Renewable Energy Skills Partnership, will moderate the session.
Registrations to attend EUSEW 2026 are now open. Readers interested in joining the session on 11 June 2026 at 14:00 CEST are invited to register via the official EUSEW website.
Where this work sits in the EU skills agenda
The session addresses a structural skills shortage that is central to Europe’s renewable energy transition and directly relevant to the objectives of RESkill4NetZero. As a co-funded EU project, RESkill4NetZero focuses on addressing the shortage of skilled workers in the renewable energy sector.
To respond to this challenge, the project is developing an EU-wide skills blueprint for the critical job profiles needed across renewable energy industries. This includes a sector-specific Renewable Energy Skills Strategy, a tailored vocational education and training (VET) curriculum, and clear acquisition pathways for the core skills required across renewable value chains.
The EUSEW session provides a space where this work connects with the wider policy and industry dialogue. It links RESkill4NetZero’s approach to the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act Skills Academies, including initiatives such as the European Solar Academy, and the Pact for Skills, while offering training providers, employers and policymakers the opportunity to contribute to and build on the recommendations emerging from the discussion.
Session format: built around live problem-solving
Following the ‘RESkill Alliance Dialogue’ methodology, the session is built around live problem-solving. After short scene-setting interventions on EU policy and the labour market, participants and the panel work through a small number of concrete skills challenges from across the renewable energy value chain. The discussion is designed to produce concrete recommendations that feed into the Renewable Energy Skills Alliance and the wider skills ecosystem. Participants are therefore encouraged to submit “renewable energy skills-related challenges” prior to and during the session.
Who should join & how to best benefit from the session
Training providers, employers, policymakers, sectoral organisations, and members of EU-funded skills projects working on renewable energy will benefit most. Bring a challenge – prior to the session via LinkedIn or email (info@skill4net-zero.eu) or during the session via Slido, co-create solutions with experts, and leave with actionable insights you can use in your own organisation.