Cape Town: The Chemical Industry Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) will expand   high-powered discussions around the skills required to drive South Africa’s transition to a green economy at the Pan - African Hydrogen Skills Conference. 

“We are keen to get industry perspectives on hydrogen manufacturing to understand the skills development perspectives from the supply and demand sectors to gain better insights.”  says Yershen Pillay, the Chief Executive Officer of the CHIETA.

As part of the high-powered discussions in a connected event with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), CHIETA will host a two-day conference on 6 and 7 December at the Avenue, Two Oceans Aquarium, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa. 

The Department of Science and Innovation and the CHIETA is hosting connected events for the Green Hydrogen Economy between the 5th and 7th of December.

High-profile speakers taking part will be led by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande. They will include international speakers from Ghana and Namibia, leading members of South African academia and industry leaders in the hydrogen economy and government departments. 

“As an authority in skills development within the chemical industry, CHIETA has repositioned itself to innovate for impact, a vision that CHIETA endeavours to work towards, and we want to continue to provide leadership on skills development for the hydrogen economy to the sector and nationally in this regard,” he adds. 

To this end, CHIETA has partnered with Impact Hydrogen, SANEDI (South African National Energy Institute), The Centre for Renewable & Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University and recently, the National Business Institute (NBI) to unpack the opportunities of the hydrogen economy. 

Pillay says investing in the hydrogen research and successful workforce planning for a hydrogen-ready South Africa is imperative. 

On the side-lines of the World Science Forum in Cape Town is a Science Diplomacy for Economic Development through Hydrogen Roundtables Inaugural workshop – The workshop aims at establishing how hydrogen can be utilized as a lever for social justice in the context of South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy sources. The inaugural workshop is addressing issues around hydrogen as a lever for social justice. 

While the events are connected, CHIETA’s segment focuses on “Industry Perspectives, Experiences and Skills required for the Hydrogen Economy “on the 6th and 7th of December 2022. 

Pillay says the conference promises to draw from the diverse wealth of expertise and experiences of leading voices currently in the hydrogen, who will explore perspectives and recommendations on Hydrogen Economy Skills supply and demand along the entire value chain.

“Through events like this, we can establish goals and ensure it is aligned to delivering on skills development, education and training through innovative solutions for sustainable livelihoods,” says Pillay. 

After the conference, CHIETA will produce a consolidated report that will be shared with delegates and relevant stakeholders for skills implementation.