STEM Training Programme

Context   

The just and equitable energy transition cannot be achieved and sustained without ensuring gender equality. The global energy access gap is gendered, and women and girls disproportionately bear the burden of the every-day consequences of energy poverty. At the same time, women are underrepresented in the energy sector, from entry and mid-level positions to boardrooms.

The STEM Training Programme was piloted in Q1 2023, kicking off in Sierra Leone under the FCDO-funded hospital electrification project. Twelve trainees were recruited over six months and given hands-on training through site visits and soft skills training. Given the success of the inaugural programme, WYFF partnered with the Energy Transition Department to implement a similar training programme for young graduates, particularly women, around key workstreams underway in Ghana and Kenya.

Renewable energy offers a range of unprecedented opportunities. With public policy support, women can garner a growing share of expanding employment in this young and dynamic sector. At present, women represent only 32% of the renewable energy workforce (IRENA). Driven by perceptions and misperceptions, only a low percentage of female students choose the STEM fields. STEM skills are critical to many career paths in renewables, but because of prevailing views of women’s abilities, women continue to have a limited presence in these fields.  Access to adequate education and training opportunities is essential if women are to develop their skills and seize employment opportunities in renewable energy.

Activities

Women and Youth at the Forefront works alongside other SEforALL programmes (e.g., Powering Health, Energy Efficiency and Cooling) to bring STEM training to young women, utilizing a targeted approach to bridging existing gaps in the sector by putting women at the forefront through training the young women to acquire fundamental skills necessary to move the energy sector forward. The goal of this initiative is not only to help the trainees academically, but to expose and encourage more women to pursue an interest in STEM-related careers. 

Results 

The STEM Training Programme in Sierra Leone has yielded impactful results, as evidenced by the active involvement of trainees in hands-on projects. Trainees collaborated with developers on-site to successfully install rooftop solar systems, ensuring a reliable and consistent electricity supply to healthcare facilities. The program's success is further exemplified by the achievement of one participant securing a position as a Temporary Assistant within SEforALL's Powering Healthcare Programme, showcasing the tangible employment opportunities created through this initiative. Additionally, six candidates from the inaugural cohort had the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and skills by attending the Joint Summer School on Modelling Tools for Sustainable Development in Trieste, Italy, underlining the program's commitment to holistic education.

The positive outcomes have prompted the initiation of recruitment for the second cohort in Sierra Leone, signifying the program's sustainability and its ability to continually empower aspiring individuals in the field of sustainable energy. The project's success in fostering practical skills, facilitating employment, and promoting international exposure highlights its efficacy in addressing gender disparities and contributing to the broader objectives of the just and equitable energy transition.