Today’s generation of students, particularly the millennials, no longer believe in taking the conventional paths, when it comes to their careers. Fuelled by an increasing desire to explore the various opportunities available, they tend to search for a career that appeals specifically to their personal aspirations, beliefs, and needs.
These bold, socially conscious and aware individuals are extremely sensitive to issues like energy conservation, environmental protection, and the need to build a sustainable future. Hence, they have shifted their focus to a number of emerging industries which are aligned with their personal principles, while also offering significant opportunities for growth.
Owing to this, the Indian renewable energy industry, especially the solar sector, has become a prime choice for students today, because of the immense potential it holds, not only for jobs of the future, but also for the future of the country.
India already possesses an extremely favourable topography for several forms of renewable energy, including solar, hydro, and wind. However, in recent years, the solar industry has witnessed the strongest growth and rise in popularity, especially spurred on by the many favourable policies and initiatives launched by the Government. The ambitious goal set by it, of achieving 175 GW capacity by 2022, of which, 100 GW is expected to be contributed by the solar sector, has further provided impetus to job creation in the industry.
Some of the many career roles available in the solar industry are:
*Design and Pre-Construction: A highly specialised role, the Design and Pre-Construction phase of a solar project requires professionals with robust technical knowledge of the sector, along with the skill-set to manage the construction and managing crew.
*Construction and Pre-Commissioning: With immense potential for job creation for unskilled labour, this role plays a key part in the groundwork and physical establishment of solar projects. As such, it contributes to nearly 50% of the workforce.
*Operations and Maintenance: In order to ensure that the plant performance meets the expected standards, well managed Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is a critical requirement for the rapidly growing solar sector in India. As a result, roles in this domain provide stability and long-term growth for both unskilled and semi-skilled labour.
*Business Development: Owing to the massive growth potential of the sector, a number of Business Development roles, including sales, corporate finance, and more, exist in the solar industry, especially in rooftop solar. The demand for skilled professionals is expected to rise even further, with the vast number of potential customers in the sector, leading to a rise in job creation in the industry.
As a result of the many stages involved in the sector, the solar industry has permeated into several specialised business functions in a variety of fields, like legal, finance, and IT, working in various domains, including B2B, B2C, Government, and more. This has helped the solar industry evolve into an extremely preferred domain for the future, with students increasingly exploring prospective careers in the sector. To equip them with the requisite skill sets and knowhow, countless specialised courses are also being offered by recognised bodies, such as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gujarat Energy Research & Management Institute (GERMI), and more.
In addition to this, the challenging targets set by the Government, have further led to several major projects being commissioned all over the country. Multiple reports following the announcement state that in order to achieve the 2022 renewable energy target, an estimated 300,000 jobs would need to be created in the industry. Out of this, 79% of the jobs would be created in the rooftop solar segment, alone. Besides solar projects, however, it is predicted that 45,000 new jobs will also be generated by the solar module manufacturing and energy saving solutions segment.
This renewed drive to enhance the accessibility of the solar industry, all over the country, along with the impressive growth that it has witnessed, has helped give birth to many novel business models, such as the franchisee system. Not only have these models helped generate many more job prospects, they have also enabled aspiring entrepreneurs to have the necessary guidance and financial support to establish thriving businesses in the segment.
Owing to these rapidly multiplying formal education, job, and business opportunities, and the enhanced Government support that the industry is experiencing, the solar sector has gained traction as a leading career prospect for the aspirational, sustainability-driven students of today.
(Sunil Rathi is Director, Waaree Energies. Views expressed here are personal)
First Published:
Sep 05, 2019 17:40 IST
0 Comments