Launched: May 2026
The challenge
Germany faces growing demand for skilled workers especially in net-zero industries, the craft sector and key value-chain industries. As such, traditional training systems are struggling to keep up with rapidly evolving skills needs.
In Lower Saxony, this challenge is intensified as major employment sectors, such as the automotive, steel, chemical and food industry, are undergoing significant change driven by electrification, global competition and stricter climate policies.
At the same time, the region is positioning itself as a clean‑energy hub, powered entirely by renewables and expanding wind and solar capacity. This shift is creating new opportunities in battery production, e‑mobility and grid technologies – but a shortage of skilled workers threatens to slow progress.
EU initiatives such as Net-Zero Industry Act and the NetZero Valley initiative add momentum, yet achieving the region’s goals will require modern, demand‑driven training in technical and STEM fields.
The ambition
The Regional Skills Partnership aims to equip Lower Saxony with the skilled workforce needed to drive the growth of net‑zero industries.
It will analyse regional training offers and identify qualification needs, with the aim to create a clear, accessible overview of continuing education opportunities. This will be particularly beneficial for SMEs, which are essential to the region’s industrial transformation but often lack resources for staff development – making it easier for employers to upskill workers and adapt to emerging technologies.
It also seeks to build a strong, connected skills ecosystem. The Regional Skills Partnership will bring together regional authorities, employment agencies, education providers, research institutions and economic development bodies, while also involving partners beyond the northwest to reflect wider training networks.
Acting as a bridge to European initiatives, including the Net‑Zero Industry Academies, the Regional Skills Partnership will coordinate activities, support complementary training programmes and ensure efforts are aligned. Continuous monitoring will help avoid duplication and strengthen the region’s capacity to plan for future skill demands.
The commitments
The Regional Skills Partnership for Net-Zero Technologies in Lower Saxony has committed to a set of key actions to ensure that people can succeed in net‑zero industries.
It will implement five work packages that analyse both the region’s skills needs for net‑zero technologies, and the current continuing education offer in Lower Saxony. This analysis will draw on expert interviews and a stakeholder survey involving regional initiatives, education providers, universities and the Federal Employment Agency.
Based on these insights, the Regional Skills Partnership will translate identified needs into practical training offers and, where gaps emerge, develop new continuing education formats in collaboration with regional training providers.
All programmes will be shaped by clearly defined industry requirements and reviewed regularly with participating companies to ensure they remain relevant and demand driven.
The impact
Through the five coordinated work packages, the Regional Skills Partnership will create a more transparent, better connected and more responsive skills ecosystem for net‑zero technologies in Lower Saxony.
Stronger communication and networking will help improve collaboration among regional authorities, education providers, research institutions and employers. This will ensure that knowledge, opportunities and funding information flow easily across the region.
In addition, comprehensive analyses of both skills needs and existing training offers will give Lower Saxony a full picture of its net‑zero training landscape. This evidence base will highlight qualification gaps, reveal future workforce demands and guide the development of targeted upskilling pathways.
The Regional Skills Partnership will also turn insights into action. It will make continuing education opportunities more transparent, map legal and funding frameworks and help share successful training models including those developed through European initiatives.
Finally, new training concepts and ‘train‑the‑trainer’ approaches will help close skills gaps and strengthen teaching capacity, ensuring the region can meet the demands of a rapidly growing net‑zero economy.
View the document below to learn more about the Regional Skills Partnership for Net-Zero Technologies in Lower Saxony:
