There are multiple job possibilities in the solar sector today from engineers to project managers, from liaison officers to sales and BD officers, demand is rising in the white-collar segment.
In fact, all segments of the labour force—unskilled and semi-skilled have a place in this sector for maintenance and cleaning activities.
Skilled labour is required for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), the labour required for O&M of the plant can be semi-skilled or even un-skilled. These skills can be easily imparted with on-the-job training modules.
In an email interview with HT Digital Stream, Manu Karan, Vice President, Business Development, CleanMax Solar tells about the job opportunities in solar sector and what should interested candidates keep in mind.
Question: What are the job opportunities in solar sector? What does the job description of specific roles entail?
Answer: As the solar sector continues its growth trajectory in India with an ambitious target of 100GW to be installed by 2022, it has contributed significantly to the creation of job employment. Experts also suggest that global green energy companies are gauging India as a potential market and setting up domestic offices in the country, adding to the plethora of opportunities.
There is an increasing demand for executives from engineers to project managers, from safety officers to business development personnel in the sector. These roles are specifically designed to cater to the functions of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).
{{/usCountry}}There is an increasing demand for executives from engineers to project managers, from safety officers to business development personnel in the sector. These roles are specifically designed to cater to the functions of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).
{{/usCountry}}It is also important that one seeking a role or a career in solar should focus more on being aware and updated about the industry regulation and its policies, and the renewable sector, as a whole.
A holistic sense of energy efficiency, need for sustainability, and an innovative thought process goes a long way to have a successful career.
There is also a steady demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labour workforce, which are required for the construction and maintenance activities. These skills can be easily imparted with on-the-job training modules.
Question: What is the required education qualification for specific roles?
Answer: Engineering background with specialisation in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Energy Management are usually most preferred for roles across design, engineering, construction, business development and project management roles.
Our talent sourcing strategy is a mix of fresher’s as well experienced candidates; the freshers are recruited from engineering institutes like Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) through campus recruitment and then groomed for future leadership roles.
The unskilled and semi-skilled employment is generated mostly at the local level through third party contracts; a diploma or vocational certification from a reputed institute would be an added advantage.
Question: Are there any Government vocational courses that one can enrol to?
Answer : Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) run by the Government of India or private entities have courses related to electrical, civil and mechanical subjects which are the best way to acquire the required vocational training and skills to work in the renewable energy sector. The Government of India, as a part of its Surya Mitra Skill Development has taken a keen interest in skill building for jobs in the solar sector, which one can enrol for.
(Author Manu Karan is Vice President of Business Development, CleanMax Solar. Views expressed here are personal.)