Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Hyphen) has officially launched its Green Hydrogen Skills Census which is a flagship component of the company’s baseline studies and its National Skills Audit, conducted as part of its commitments under the Feasibility and Implementation Agreement (FIA) with the Namibian Government.
The Census is designed to capture existing skills across the country and match them to the critical skills required to drive Hyphen’s project needs during its construction and operations phases, respectively. Hyphen is conducting the Skills Census in close collaboration with key national stakeholders, including Namibia’s Technical and Vocational Technical Education and Training (TVET) sector, human capital development institutions, regional authorities, and socio-economic development agencies.
The Census platform allows all Namibians to register their skills and upload relevant supporting documentation, contributing to another initiative by Hyphen, namely the creation of a comprehensive national job seekers database for the GH2 sector. Looking ahead, the Skills Census will inform the design of Hyphen’s workforce development strategy, tailored to the unique needs of its project and, later, to the broader emerging green hydrogen sector in Namibia.
The data collected will help shape targeted training programmes and guide institutional partnerships that align education supply with industry demand, ensuring that Namibian talent is actively positioned to benefit from the coming industrial expansion. This approach is being carried out in close collaboration with the government, under Hyphen’s FIA, and reflects a shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable national development.
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts & Culture, Dino Ballotti, said if Namibia was to succeed in its green hydrogen journey, there was a need to put people at the heart of every step taken.
“Hyphen have been putting in the work, and I can confirm that they are investing in real and tangible efforts to ensure that as many Namibians as possible are meaningfully included and empowered to participate in the green hydrogen opportunity. It is fair that we should recognise this will be a journey requiring patience and persistence, but know that as a nation we are looking to you to unlock job opportunities,” he said.
Ballotti said Namibia’s emerging green hydrogen ecosystem will require a wide and interconnected set of skills – from artisans and technicians, to engineers, welders, logistics professionals, data analysts, health and safety officers, project managers, and many others.
“However, we must be honest with ourselves: we still lack a comprehensive, up-to date picture of Namibia’s current skills landscape – and, critically, of how many Namibians are equipped to participate meaningfully in this emerging opportunity. Not only those that were fortunate to receive scholarships to study abroad but every young person from all of the country’s regions. And without accurate, up-to-date data, planning becomes guesswork,” the Deputy Minister said.
Ballotti said a baseline skills study was important to avoid the risk of investing in the wrong areas and overlooking some communities.
In parallel, a Hyphen National Skills Audit is underway – reviewing data from institutions like the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), and the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation.
