Shortlist Digest (May 2023): Introducing the Energy Access Talent Initiative
The world is facing a dual crisis: a lack of access to reliable and renewable energy, and a changing climate that endangers the lives and livelihoods of generations. These issues are felt (often more) acutely across Africa, where a swiftly expanding population lacks access to quality jobs and economic opportunity.
Our work under the “Energy Access Talent Initiative” (EATI) aims to fill this gap. A collaboration between the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Carbon Trust, African Management Institute (AMI), and Shortlist, EATI will train and employ over 1,600 African youth across sub-Saharan Africa at clean energy sector companies. This builds from our successful “Off-Grid Talent Initiative” which engaged 100,000+ young people and placed 400+ youth into “work experiences” with 35+ clean energy companies across 9 countries in Africa.
Across our clean energy programs, one of our goals is that these initial work experiences springboard into long-term careers. And so far it’s working: to date, we’ve seen that over 90% of participants remain employed in full-time jobs after the initial subsidized period, and in fact 68% are still employed in their jobs after three years.
We’re also proud that beyond giving youth access to their first jobs, we’re helping to build a more equitable sector, with women representing 56% of the participants. (You can learn more about that in our report “Hiring for Equity in Clean Energy.”)
We are delighted to continue our work enabling us to expand access to energy and build a more sustainable future. If you’re looking to get involved (as an employer, training partner, or talent engagement partner), please hit reply and let us know!
Happy hiring,
Paul
