Building a renewable energy workforce that leaves no one behind
Jordan: Powering the green transition with skills (and solar panels!)
What if the biggest barrier to a clean energy future wasn’t technology, but having enough trained people to install it?
In Jordan, the German Energy Academy is solving exactly that.
Jordan has set a target of 31% renewable energy by 2030 and is working towards raising that ambition to 50%. But ambition without a skilled workforce is just a target on paper. Since 2021, the German Energy Academy (GEA) in Jordan has trained over 1,200 people across a wide range of green energy courses, including solar photovoltaic design and installation, energy efficiency, e-mobility, and energy storage. To date, 60% of graduates have found employment, internships or freelance work in the green sector. Operating from Al Hussein Technical University and the German Jordanian University, GEA combines German TVET standards with Jordanian labour market needs, delivering up to 70% of its training as hands-on, practical learning.
“When you see a trainee install their first solar panel and then post about it with so much pride, you know this is not just a course. It is the beginning of a career.” Esraa Hawarat, Project Coordinator, German Energy Academy, Jordan
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to count this initiative as one of the finalists for the Green Skills Award 2026. Read on to find out why.
The project
GEA delivers practice-oriented training that bridges the gap between classroom education and the demands of Jordan’s rapidly growing renewable energy sector. Under the Energy Partnership between the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the GEA is supported by the German government through funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Programmes are designed with industry partners and include real-world installations, site visits to operational solar and wind facilities, and internationally recognised AHK vocational training certifications. What sets GEA apart is its commitment to inclusion: over 340 women and 230+ refugees have completed its programmes, many on full scholarships.
The ETF has selected this initiative as one of the six finalists for the Green Skills Award, recognising its cutting-edge technical education and hands-on learning model in a region where renewable energy is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Why this initiative stands out:
- Opening doors through practical skills and community, not only degrees
- Training delivered in partnership with GIZ, GGGI, AHK (German Chamber of Commerce), BSW and the Amman Chamber of Industry
- Curricula developed by PhD holders and professors from partner universities, incorporating German industry expertise and practical case studies
- 94% pass rate on internationally recognised AHK certification exams
- Inclusion of women and refugees reached through UNHCR representatives, community-based organisations and social platforms; most receive full scholarships
- GEA delivers practice-oriented training courses in solar photovoltaic installation, energy efficiency, e-mobility, energy storage, and other courses in the renewable energy.
- Curricula are developed jointly by PhD holders from partner universities and industry experts from Jordanian and German partner institutions, blending university-level theory with real-life case studies and on-site experience.
- Training opportunities open to participants from different educational and professional backgrounds, including university graduates, diploma holders, technicians, and vocational trainees.
- Strong emphasis on inclusion, particularly women and refugees, with targeted outreach through UNHCR representatives, community-based organisations and social platforms
- Vulnerable groups are supported by funding and scholarships. To date, most refugee trainees have been able to attend programmes free of charge
- 94% pass rate, participants receive internationally-recognised AHK certifications
- 50+ specialised training courses delivered across solar PV, energy efficiency, e-mobility and smart grids
- Up to 70% hands-on training, including MW-scale solar installations, lab work and industry site visits
- 1,200+ professionals trained since 2021, with a 60% employment and livelihood outcome rate
- 340+ women and 230+ refugees successfully trained
- Green skills developed include practical competencies in PV system design and installation, energy auditing, electric vehicle maintenance, smart grid management, and safety compliance
- GEA actively supports graduates’ transition into the labour market by connecting them with private-sector and industrial partners, sharing CV''s with employers, facilitating networking opportunities, and linking trainees to employment and internship opportunities.
“Green skills are not a luxury. They are the future. And the future is now.”
Esraa Hawarat, Project Coordinator, German Energy Academy, Jordan
- Graduates are employed across renewable energy companies and industrial sectors, contributing to real solar energy projects including MW-scale installations
- One graduate has launched an energy efficiency startup, demonstrating the programme’s entrepreneurial potential
- A female graduate trained by Esraa now works in the field, measuring PV systems on rooftops, breaking gender barriers in Jordan's energy sector.
- A Syrian refugee who completed the energy efficiency course now works in his country’s energy ministry – a story of skills crossing borders
- The academy’s model has extended beyond Jordan through regional Training of Trainers programmes and international trainees
- GEA contributes directly to Jordan’s clean energy transition by raising awareness of green jobs and fostering a culture of sustainability among learners, companies and communities
GEA works because it treats training not as an end in itself, but as a bridge – from classroom to rooftop, from theory to employment, from vulnerability to self-sufficiency. The academy’s success lies in a simple formula: world-class technical standards (German engineering precision), local relevance (Jordanian labour market alignment), and human inclusion (no barriers to entry based on gender, nationality or background).
“My message to young people, especially women and refugees: join this field. Green energy is not just about panels and wires. It is about building a future you can be proud of.”
Esraa Hawarat, Project Coordinator, German Energy Academy, Jordan
Want to learn more?
Read more about the finalists and support the next generation of green entrepreneurs!