LocationsS4IF Launched Community of Practice Webinar Series with its First Session: “Powering the Future: Accelerating an Inclusive Energy Transition through Green & Digital Skills”
April 15, 2026
The session brought together global stakeholders to advance green and digital skills development for an inclusive energy transition.
Online, April 9, 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hosted the first webinar of the Skills for an Inclusive Future (S4IF) Network Community of Practice. The online event brought together participants to discuss inclusive skills development for the twin transition.
In her opening remarks, Maud de Vautibault, Head of Inclusive Infrastructure, Gender and Economic Inclusion at EBRD, underscored that the scale of the green and digital transition demands collective action:
“By 2030, over 1 billion people will need new skills and only half will have equal access to training. No single actor can solve this alone. Addressing these challenges requires partnership and collaboration across the private sector, IFIs, local government, academia, and civil society.”
11 Guidelines for a Skilled Energy Workforce
This call for collaboration was echoed in S4IF’s newly developed roadmap of 11 strategic guidelines, presented by Dr. Elcin Koten, Knowledge Management Coordinator at UNDP ICPSD.
The guidelines translate the principle of shared responsibility into action. They outline the importance of building successful partnerships as well as adopting a national skills strategy, ensuring inclusion and aligning education curricula with sector needs.
S4IF’s Roadmap of 11 Strategic Guidelines for Inclusive Skills Development.
Insights from the Field
Sinem Yorulmaz, People and Culture Lead at Enerjisa Distribution, shared how the company puts these principles into practice across its workforce of 10,000 employees in 14 cities. She described hands-on programs to upskill both blue-collar and white-collar staff, attract young women into technical roles, and build lasting ties with vocational schools across Türkiye.
“Transformation cannot happen with technology alone. It is about people. And it is crucial that no one is left behind.”
— Sinem Yorulmaz, People and Culture Lead, Enerjisa Distribution
Experiences from Moldova, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan
A panel discussion moderated by Brendan Curran (Principal, Gender and Economic Inclusion, EBRD) brought global perspectives to the conversation. Panelists included:
Seher Ariner, Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Moldova, described how Moldova turned an energy crisis into a push for clean energy. The country has expanded renewables, trained energy auditors, and built new programs for local authorities while putting vulnerable households first.
Ingrid Høegh, Sustainability Advisor at Scatec, shared how the Norwegian renewable energy company trains local workers, including women, near its project sites. According to Ingrid, in Brazil, 120 women were trained as solar module assemblers; 76% were still working in the energy sector 20 months later. The team is now developing similar programs in Tunisia and Romania.
Carole Pontais, Country Manager of Voltalia Uzbekistan, explained how the company partnered with a local university to create a new renewable energy curriculum. The goal: build a pipeline of trained graduates ready to maintain Voltalia’s solar and wind projects — and those of other investors in the country.
What’s Next
The full research report including the 11 strategic guidelines and skill gap analysis for Türkiye’s energy sector will be published shortly. The S4IF Network will continue its Community of Practice webinar series, with future sessions planned across other regions and sectors.
“We look forward to seeing many more energy companies – and non-energy companies – join and benefit from S4IF’s practical tools that are scalable and replicable across sectors and regions. We hope this conversation will inspire further action that is impactful and rooted in strong collaboration across the energy sector and beyond.”
— Ozen Tumer, Principal Lead for Türkiye, Gender and Economic Inclusion, EBRD
About the S4IF Network
The Skills for an Inclusive Future (S4IF) Network is a joint initiative of UNDP and EBRD, designed to equip underserved populations with the skills needed for the future of work by unlocking the transformative potential of the private sector. Enerjisa Enerji is the Network’s first private sector beneficiary.
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