GroenvermogenNL recently launched its first ever Human Capital Agenda (HCA) Safari Days. Based on a varied programme, each region showcased what is already happening in the field of hydrogen technology and highlighted the labour market issues they face. Their conclusion: the transition is in full progress and requires a lot of new knowledge and young talent. More particularly, it will also place significant demands on the existing professional working population, who will see their jobs transformed.
Green hydrogen is set to play a crucial role in the energy transition. One of the main challenges in the large-scale application of hydrogen will be the deployment of sufficient, properly trained professionals. The HCA agenda varies in each region. This is why GroenvermogenNL’s national HCA programme specifically allows each of the six regions to develop their own approaches.
Regional roadmap
Under the coordination of a regional liaison committee, each region will set up a roadmap in 2023: an action plan for each regional HCA issue. Parties from education, research, and the corporate world will be mobilised to participate, develop joint proposals, and form consortia with a view to working together to resolve labour market issues and help to accelerate the hydrogen transition.
HCA Safari
At the end of 2022, the regional liaison committees expressed a desire to visit each other. This is because lessons can be learned from the regional differences and similarities on how to set up the roadmaps. There was also interest from the corporate world, education, and other stakeholders. The result was the HCA Safari: an extensive programme of six days packed full of information about the regions.
South-western, western, and eastern Netherlands
The Safari kicked off in the south-western Netherlands, a region where parties are already well acquainted with each other in view of their previous focus on offshore wind energy. In the western Netherlands, the main challenge involves providing refresher and additional training to the many workers in industry. The eastern Netherlands is focussing on decentralised hydrogen applications in the built environment and for the mobility sector.
Northern, north-western, and south-eastern Netherlands
In the second week, the northern Netherlands demonstrated how far the region has advanced as an innovative Hydrogen Valley. The Safari Day in the north-western
Netherlands showcased the widespread transition of production, transport, and storage and industrial application around the North Sea Canal. By contrast, the focus in the south-eastern Netherlands is more on hydrogen as a raw material for the chemical industry and attracting professionals from across the border.
Additional training and refresher courses
‘Despite their differences – or possibly thanks to them – the regions can learn a lot from each other and collaborate on the realisation of a national agenda,’ says Henk van Terwisga, HCA programme manager. ‘The staff shortages are affecting everywhere, but the good news is that everyone shares the ambition to do something about it. It’s now a case of putting that ambition into action. The experiences from the Safari give us every confidence that they will succeed in this very soon!’
Interested in finding out more about the HCA Safari?
Read the inspiring stories from the region and learn more about the National Knowledge Platform and Learning Communities.
