An Analysis of the Geothermal Employment Landscape, its characteristics and challenges

Abstract

Employment in the geothermal sector is both growing and changing. This paper, originally published on the KnowRES website (http://www.knowres-jobs.eu/en/), presents the outcomes of a survey carried out between September 2015 and February 2016 on the existing skills in the market and on the needs of employers. Looking at the gaps between these two elements, it looks at how training should be developed to ensure a sustainable market.
The study concludes that the volatile nature of the geothermal business makes it difficult for companies to plan and predict the competencies they will require. In any case, flexibility is a key skill to successfully adapt to the evolving needs of the customers and to the changing environment. Moreover, being able to speak the local language is also crucial to reduce the existing cultural divide when working in new markets. Additionally, the survey suggests that, because SMEs have limited capacity to train their staff than larger companies, the creation of a platform could be envisaged to pull synergies and funding for common training in areas such as health and safety or O&M.