Employees need new skills to make the energy transition a reality, say experts

Our working life is changing at a faster pace than ever before, and so too are the competencies employees need to develop, says Tom Lindholm, Managing Director of Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development (Aalto EE).

This was a central focus of Aalto EE’s event “Making Energy Transition a Reality – Closing the Competence gap,” which Lindholm opened in December 2023.

Drawing on insights from the World Economic Forum and a report by the Technology Industries of Finland, Lindholm says workforces must gain broader competencies and learn new skills instead of simply updating existing ones.

Throughout the event, many speakers highlighted the importance of long-term and systemic thinking, the ability to see the big picture and build collaborations to solve complex problems.

Guest speaker Tuukka Hartikka, Head of BU (Hydrogen and Power to X) from Helen Ltd spoke about the energy transition from an energy company’s point of view.

He said the rapid development of AI and technologies are major factors driving the need to re- and upskill employees, in addition to the climate crisis.

During the panel discussion, Ulla Heinonen – Director, Green Growth at the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK – emphasised the importance of taking care of young people’s skills in basic education and having all children and adolescents on board.

Ismo Laukkanen, Head of Learning and Development at ABB, advocated thinking about what support and funding can be provided for re- and upskilling nationally.

Other panellists were Annareetta Lumme-Timonen, Investment Director at Solidium, and Johanna Fräki, Head of Open Innovation and Innovation Marketing at Neste. The panel was moderated by Ulla-Maija Uusitalo, Sales and Account Director at Aalto EE.