Central Asia is seeking skilled workers in the green energy sector

Central Asian governments must better align their education systems with the growing demands of the renewable energy sector. This was stated by participants at the Central Asian Climate Conference (CACCC-2026) in Astana. As investment in solar and wind power rises, so does the gap between companies’ needs and the available skilled workforce.

Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Education, Azat Atayev, said that despite its traditional strength in oil and gas, Turkmenistan is increasingly investing in renewable energy. At the same time, the country must train a new generation of specialists who can implement this transition in practice.

“In Turkmenistan, we are rich in oil and gas, but we are also continuing to expand wind and solar power plants with a capacity of up to 10 megawatts,” Atayev said at a press conference during the event.

Education systems should move closer to industry

Atayev emphasized that infrastructure expansion can only succeed if suitable skilled workers are trained at the same time. The key factor is determining which skills will be needed in the future energy sector and how universities and training institutions respond to this.

Turkmenistan is therefore conducting a targeted analysis of the gap between curricula and labor market demand. Future studies are intended to identify which qualifications will be in particularly high demand in sectors such as energy, transportation, and logistics.

“Once we have identified discrepancies, we use a skills gap analysis to determine which qualifications are needed and which are currently lacking,” said Atayev. Based on this, universities are now preparing projects that are more closely aligned with the requirements of the green transition.

An important part of the strategy is a closer connection between universities and businesses. Students are to receive more practice-oriented training so that they can later be deployed directly in industrial projects. Atayev emphasized that this approach is important not only for the energy transition but for all sectors of the economy.

Skills Shortage as a Risk for Renewable Energy Expansion

The issue is gaining urgency in Central Asia. Governments in the region plan to build up to 8 gigawatts of new solar and wind power capacity in the coming years. Yet the pace of project development already exceeds the capacity of education and training systems to provide enough qualified workers.

“The transition to clean energy is not just about technology and investment. Above all, it requires specialists who can design, build, and maintain the energy systems of the future,” said Batyr Mamedov, Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC).

He pointed to the region’s great potential in solar and wind energy. To ensure this potential is not merely theoretical, companies and universities must collaborate more closely and develop common standards.

At the conference, representatives from CAREC, the OSCE, GIZ, and other organizations discussed how educational programs can be better tailored to market needs. The focus was on practical training, stronger cooperation with the private sector, and joint regional initiatives.

One expected outcome is the signing of letters of intent between technical universities in Central Asia and CAREC. The goal is to establish a regional system for training skilled workers, promoting joint research, and strengthening academic mobility.