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A shortage of skilled workers is slowing down Tübingen's energy transition - what now?
Find out how Tübingen's heating construction company Schöll is mastering the energy transition and what challenges it poses.
A shortage of skilled workers is slowing down Tübingen's energy transition - what now?
In the city of Tübingen, the family company Schöll GmbH, led by Rolf Schöll, who has been working in heating construction for over 90 years, is struggling with the challenges of the energy transition. Despite the switch to modern technologies such as LG heat pumps, which have been installed in the last three years, political uncertainties remain a key problem. The original ambitions of the traffic light coalition to quickly advance the energy transition are experiencing a setback with the new government. The lifting of the oil boiler ban and the postponement of the deadline for the heating law to 2045 should not be ignored by the industry and is causing uncertainty among customers who often hesitate to replace functioning heating systems. sbz-online.de reports that Schöll is not only relying on more modern heating systems, but is also maintaining traditional offerings in order to respond to customer needs.
But what is the outlook for the industry? The shortage of skilled workers is a major issue. As a study by the DIHK shows, this shortage could seriously endanger the energy transition. By 2035, there will be an estimated shortage of 560,000 skilled workers in relevant professions across all sectors. This not only affects heating construction companies like Schöll, but also key sectors for the expansion of renewable energies. dihk.de emphasizes that two thirds of the required skilled workers need a professional qualification and that vocational orientation in schools must be improved in order to reach broader target groups.
Alternative solutions to the shortage of skilled workers
The increasing competition for these skilled workers could significantly slow down the implementation goals for the energy transition. Companies in the areas of logistics, planning and transport must be involved as they are also largely responsible for the transformation. A study by the DIHK warns that the lack of personnel in many professions - from business people to engineers to dual-trained specialists - could only partially enable the expansion of renewable energies. Qualified personnel are essential, especially in the maintenance and construction of wind turbines. daily news reports that “non-green” sectors also make their contribution to this picture and that the entire value chain must be taken into account.
In order to effectively address the shortage of skilled workers, innovative solutions are required. The DIHK suggests offering partial qualifications for low-skilled people, improving the compatibility of family and work and creating incentives for the later employment of older workers. It is also recommended to promote interdisciplinary additional qualifications for dual vocational training in order to meet current and future challenges.
Schöll is already conducting training courses on installing heat pumps in order to have well-qualified staff in-house. Nevertheless, the need for clear political guidelines and support for craft businesses remains unchanged. Without urgent measures, the energy transition will make slow progress and numerous economic potentials will remain unused.