15 August 2025 | Human Capital

5 key factors for finding and retaining talent for the energy transition

The transition to a sustainable energy supply calls for many new skilled professionals, especially in the hydrogen sector. Make Hydrogen Work (MHW) is a collaboration between seven regional campuses in the Netherlands, designed to prepare professionals more quickly for a career in green hydrogen. The concept focuses on reducing the time-to-job: the period from the start of learning to the moment when someone is fully deployable in a role. This is achieved through targeted training programmes, job guarantee pathways, and close cooperation between companies, education providers and government.

5 tips from the Make Hydrogen Work programme for employers, HR and training managers, and knowledge institutions: 

  1. Build on regional collaboration

Connect companies, training providers and governments within regional campuses so that demand leads to a matching supply. In a regional setting, decisions can be made more quickly, and the context is familiar to both employers and participants. This creates a learning culture in which new talent and experienced professionals strengthen each other. 

  1. Focus on skills, not just CVs

Use skills analyses to identify exactly which abilities are missing, rather than focusing only on diplomas or work experience. This allows for short and targeted training pathways, making candidates employable within just a few months. Companies can therefore get the right people in the right roles more quickly.  

  1. Offer learning paths with a job guarantee

Provide career changers with a clear perspective by combining a short, intensive course with a guaranteed job. This lowers the barrier to entering the hydrogen sector and ensures that new talent can contribute immediately. On-the-job specialisation then helps to build a lasting connection with the company. Combine this with company development pathways that allow employees to gradually progress to more complex tasks and higher positions. This way, talent is retained, grows alongside technological developments, and the investment in training is maximised.  

  1. Create a learning community

Set up learning and development networks where companies, educators and professionals collaborate on a structural basis. Within such communities, knowledge and practical experience are shared, enabling employees to grow more quickly in their roles. This not only improves craftsmanship but also increases the sector’s appeal for new entrants.  

  1. Provide recognised certification

Work with national certification, such as education-recognised EduBadges (for example, microcredentials) or other industry-recognised open badges. This way, skills are formally recorded and can be verified anywhere. This builds trust among employers, facilitates mobility between companies, and strengthens employees’ positions in the labour market. It also encourages professionals to keep learning. 

 

Find out more 

More information about Make Hydrogen Work and practical tools can be found at www.mhwtoolbox.nl. 

Make Hydrogen Work is part of GroenvermogenNL.  

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