Supporting a fair and inclusive energy transition
The electricity sector is at the heart of Europe’s transition to climate neutrality. Beyond decarbonising electricity production, it enables the electrification of transport, heating and industry, making it central to achieving the EU’s net-zero targets by 2050. At the same time, growing energy security concerns have reinforced the need for a resilient and sustainable electricity system. However, despite ambitious targets and significant investments, the success of this transition depends on one critical factor: people.
Shortages of skilled workers, persistent gender imbalances, evolving job requirements, and difficulties in attracting new talent to the secotr risk becoming major bottlenecks. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure that the transition is not only green, but also fair, inclusive and socially sustainable.
Project overview
The project “Towards Attractive Workplaces and a Just Transition in the European Electricity Sector” (AWJEES, 2025–2026) was carried out by the European social partners for electricity — EPSU, industriAll Europe and Eurelectric.
Its objective is to support social partners in addressing workforce-related challenges by developing practical guidelines and evidence-based insights across three interconnected themes:
- Just Transition
- Gender Equality
- Knowledge and Skills
The project combines multiple research methods, including a literature review, stakeholder interviews, an open call for best practices, focus groups, and stakeholder workshops at EU and national levels.
Key challenges and insights
1. Managing a just transition for workers
The transformation of the electricity sector brings significant opportunities, but also risks for workers and communities. These include job displacement, changing skill requirements, and health and safety challenges linked to both technological change and the impacts of climate change.
Social partners must also navigate a complex and fragmented policy landscape, while ensuring that transition measures are fair, inclusive and responsive to regional realities.
The findings highlight the importance of:
- stronger social dialogue and multi-stakeholder cooperation,
- better data, monitoring and skills anticipation,
- and improved use of EU funding instruments to support workers and regions in transition.
2. Advancing gender equality in a male-dominated sector
Despite progress, the electricity sector, along with the broader energy sector, remains strongly male-dominated, with women representing only around a quarter of the energy workforce in the EU. Women are often underrepresented in technical roles and leadership positions, and face barriers to entry, retention and advancement, such as gender stereotypes, limited career progression opportunities and unequal working conditions.
Social partners can play a key role in making the sector more inclusive by:
- promoting fair and inclusive recruitment practices,
- supporting career development, leadership and training opportunities for women,
- improving working conditions and work-life balance,
- and increasing the visibility of female role models.
Achieving gender equality is not only a matter of fairness, but also essential for addressing labour shortages and attracting new talent.
3. Building skills and attracting future talent
The electricity sector faces growing challenges in attracting and retaining skilled workers. Limited awareness among young people about career opportunities in the sector, combined with broader demographic trends and competition for talent, further complicate recruitment.
The findings point to the need for:
- stronger engagement with education and training systems,
- more work-based learning opportunities (e.g. apprenticeships, internships),
- innovative learning formats such as micro-credentials and online courses,
- and targeted communication strategies to improve the sector’s visibility and attractiveness.
Ensuring that underrepresented groups, including young people from diverse backgrounds, are included in these efforts is key to building a future-ready workforce.
Explore the full report
The full project report is publicly available and provides a comprehensive overview of the findings and practical guidance developed throughout the project.
It includes:
- an in-depth analysis of the key challenges across the three thematic areas: Just Transition, Gender Equality, and Knowledge and Skills;
- practical guidelines for social partners to address workforce-related challenges;
- a wide range of best practice examples from across the European electricity sector, showcasing successful approaches at EU, national and company levels.
