15/05/2025: Mind the gap! Shaping skills for the DHC transition

The skills gap is real - but so is the opportunity. Discover how the DHC Academy and Skills4DHC are building the foundations for a skilled, future-proof workforce, and share your views on where the sector should focus next.

The energy transition needs more than just technology - it needs people with the right skills.
Europe’s district heating and cooling sector is gearing up for massive transformation, but skill gaps and recruitment challenges are slowing it down.

In this online workshop, DHC Academy and Skills4DHC projects join forces to explore how we can build a future-proof workforce for a greener, smarter, and more resilient DHC sector. We’ll share fresh insights from Skills4DHC’s assessment of skills and training needs, with a focus on both DHC operators and the authorities shaping the sector’s regulatory and policy landscape. You’ll also get a first look at the DHC Academy’s ambitious plans to revolutionise education and training and open the floor to your thoughts through polls and guided discussion.

Whether you’re an energy professional, policymaker, educator or simply curious about how we can tackle the skills gap, this session is your chance to shape the future of DHC talent in Europe.

Your voice will help us co-create the next generation of training and learning for the sector.


Agenda:

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome to the online workshop and introduction to the DHC Academy project
10:10 – 10:25 Skills4DHC presentation: key findings and skill gaps
10:25 – 10:30 Quick interactive poll: reactions to Skills4DHC findings
10:30 – 10:45 Guided discussion: interpreting the skills needs
10:45 – 10:55 Drill down on DHC Academy focus – Where should the DHC Academy prioritise? 
10:55 – 11:00 Quick interactive poll: priorities for the DHC Academy
11:00 – 11:20 Open discussion: shaping the DHC Academy curriculum 
11:20 – 11:25 Final quick interactive poll: expectations and future hopes
11:25 – 11:30 Closing 
Speakers:

Connie Ocando, Project Officer, Euroheat & Power
Matteo Pozzi, Partner and General Manager, OPTIT
Dominik Rutz, Head of Biomass and Bioeconomy Unit, WIP
Christian Ramerstorfer, Science Researcher, AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies