The Philippines must prepare an additional 350,000 workers by 2030 to meet the growing demands of its renewable energy (RE) pipeline, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Businessworld reports.

“The Philippines has the largest RE development pipeline in the region,” ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan told reporters at a green jobs forum in Makati City, noting that the current RE workforce only numbers around 120,000.

Major projects such as the United Arab Emirates-backed 10-gigawatt solar, wind, and storage partnership with Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co.) and Terra Solar’s 3,500-megawatt solar development, touted to become the world’s largest by 2026, are expected to significantly drive demand for green jobs.

However, Hassan warned that “skills gaps are crippling the growth of RE projects in the Philippines,” citing a 75% shortage in skilled labor reported by energy companies. “Investments are being delayed or compromised due to a lack of ready, qualified workers,” he said.

He added that safety remains a critical concern, with young workers especially vulnerable in construction and installation work for wind and solar facilities. Training systems in the country are “outdated, fragmented, and not responsive to market needs,” he said, pointing to a lack of employer involvement in technical and vocational education, and trainers’ limited exposure to modern technology.

The ILO flagged the absence of formal apprenticeships and systems for forecasting future skill needs as major constraints. “This disconnect is slowing returns on investment and affecting project quality,” Hassan said.

To address the gap, the ILO is working with the Philippine government to set up a national apprenticeship program tailored to the RE sector. The initiative will establish industry-aligned standards, offer certified apprenticeships linked to real jobs, and promote workplace safety, while also informing policymaking on skills financing, labor mobility, and incentives.

The ILO said the platform aims to train 10,000 workers, half of them women, by 2029, certify 2,400 apprentices with 80% job placement within six months, and set up 25 pilot training systems across solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy. It also targets certifying 240 supervisors and 180 vocational instructors within the same timeframe.

The program is envisioned to help position the Philippines as a “green jobs leader” in the region.

Do you see the Philippines successfully closing the renewable energy skills gap? Join the conversation. 

Follow Power Philippines on Facebook and LinkedIn or join our Viber community to stay up to date on the latest energy news.