Energy transition faces shortage of specialized talent

July 3, 2026 2 min read

Microcortes y fluctuaciones de voltaje, casi imperceptibles para los usuarios, pueden afectar computadores, televisores, routers y otros equipos conectados.

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Demand for specialized talent for the energy transition is outpacing the supply of professionals with the required skills across Latin America.

The need to develop new technical and digital talent is emerging as one of the energy sector’s key challenges in the region.

The energy transition could create 170 million jobs worldwide before 2030, but the shortage of specialized talent is becoming one of its biggest challenges.

Across Latin America, demand for professionals with expertise in electrification, automation and digitalization exceeds the available supply.

The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Employment 2025 report found that global energy employment reached 76 million people in 2024.

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However, more than half of the companies surveyed reported difficulties hiring specialized professionals. This highlights the widening talent gap accompanying the energy transition.

The World Economic Forum estimates that the energy transition will create 170 million jobs worldwide before 2030 while displacing 92 million existing positions.

The organization also estimates that 39% of current workforce skills will become obsolete. In Colombia, 60% of employers believe greater public investment is needed to support workforce reskilling initiatives.

Skills gap.

In practice, the energy transition is accelerating demand for new professional roles while employers continue to face difficulties filling specialized positions across the sector.

Among the most sought-after roles in the region are industrial automation specialists, energy efficiency and energy analytics specialists, smart grid and microgrid technicians, and cybersecurity specialists for critical infrastructure.

According to McKinsey & Company, 14.5% of the global workforce will need to upgrade its skills by 2030 to keep pace with the sector’s evolution.

Developing talent.

Against this backdrop, Schneider Electric’s Youth Education & Entrepreneurship program surpassed its goal of training one million young people in energy management six months ahead of schedule.

The initiative operates in more than 60 countries with the support of over 400 partners.

Since 2021, the company has also achieved pay equity across all of its Latin American markets and has been recognized by Great Place to Work in several countries across the region.

More recently, Schneider Electric was named the world’s most sustainable company by TIME and Statista.

Mairym Romero, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Leader for Schneider Electric’s North Andean Region: “The biggest gap in the energy transition is not technological—it is access. That is why, at Schneider Electric, we are committed to helping more young people develop skills that lead to real employment opportunities and enable them to play an active role in the transition. Our recent recognition by TIME and Statista as the world’s most sustainable company reinforces our belief that developing talent today is essential to ensuring Latin America plays a leading role in the energy economy of the future.”

Developing specialized talent is emerging as one of the key challenges for supporting the energy transition, as demand for technical and digital skills continues to grow across the sector.