Global Gateway investments focus on education and job creation for Namibians to benefit from pioneering green industrialisation

The "Ignite GH2" project was officially signed at the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) during the high-level European Union (EU) visit to Namibia, led by Commissioner for International Partnerships H.E. Jozef Síkela, and accompanied by Mr. Barry Andrews, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Development, along with eight senior Members of the Committee and the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly.

Implemented by the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) and NIMT, together with private sector GH2 operators Zhero and Hyphen, the project aims to develop technical and vocational skills on green technologies responding to employment opportunities emerging from investments in the Green Hydrogen sector in Namibia, and starting in October 2025.

More precisely "Ignite G2H" will upskill around 700 unemployed graduates to increase their employability in emerging energy sectors. Forty trainers will also receive an advanced Level 6 certification, as part of a wider effort to build a workforce ready for Namibia's green transition. All beneficiaries of the training will be recorded on the Hyphen, Zhero and Daures Green Hydrogen Village job seeker databases and will have a 'first call' status prior to addressing any open recruitment call. It will further upgrade qualifications to trainers.

Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela commented: "The green hydrogen industry holds the power to unlock tens of thousands of quality jobs for Namibians. Through Global Gateway, we are turning this promise into tangible progress and real opportunities for people across the country. The Ignite GH2 project illustrates our 360 approach: investing not only in infrastructure, but equally in people. We are connecting young Namibians directly to concrete projects in the hydrogen economy, equipping them with the technical and vocational skills they need to seize opportunities in these emerging industries."

On his part, Mr. Barry Andrews noted :""Projects such as these are a positive signal about the capacity of international cooperation to make a real difference. Cooperation on technology, skills and education is one of the key pillars of the Global Gateway philosophy, one which is vital in supporting local development that reaches as many people in society as possible. Parliament has always been, and will remain, a strong advocate of support for education and training in EU international partnerships."

This project is delivered through the Team Europe Initiative on "Opportunity-driven skills and VET in Africa" funded by the European Commission and Germany, and implemented by Enabel (BE), Expertise France (FR), Edufi (FI) and GIZ (DE).

Background

The EU and Namibia celebrate this year the 35th anniversary of bilateral relations. Team Europe is Namibia's biggest trade and development partner, with a positive trade surplus for Namibia supporting local and regional value chains.

In 2022, the EU and Namibia signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a strategic partnership on renewable (green) hydrogen (GH2) and sustainable raw materials (CRM). A detailed roadmap (2023-2025) was launched in 2023 to guide the partnership.

The EU has been very successful in implementing this via the Team Europe Initiative on Inclusive Green Growth of the EU, EIB, Member States (DE, NL, FR, BE, FI), and their Development Financial Institutions with an expected contribution of more than €1 billion (grants and loans) `in a 360-degree approach. This includes hard infrastructure investments at the core, supported by actions developing the regulatory and legal framework, skills and vocational training, governmental and CSO capacities.

EU Global Gateway investments are creating thousands of quality jobs for Namibian youth and strengthening local and regional value chains. It includes training projects. The partnership is about ensuring opportunities reach people and communities across Namibia and Europe.

Global Gateway is the EU's contribution of €300 billion to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. It is in line with the commitment of the G7 leaders from June 2021 to launch a values-driven, high-standard and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet global infrastructure development needs.