Three lessons from the industry: how reskilling coal workers can fuel Bosnia and Herzegovina's green transition

The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is not just an environmental imperative — it also offers significant economic potential. A report from Indonesia shows that transitioning to renewable energy could create between 1.62 to 2.66 million net new jobs in the country. This potential job growth is crucial for economies, especially those like BiH, where coal still plays a significant role. But a critical question remains: What happens to the workers who have relied on the coal industry for their livelihoods? This is where reskilling comes in to bridge the gap between today’s workforce and the green economy of tomorrow.

Coal industry workers make the perfect candidates for reskilling to work in the renewable energy sector (RES) because they already have relevant skills which in turn shortens the training time. The training of a new worker would take around two years, whereas with reskilling it can be done though a short course or on-the-job training. Naturally, such initiatives have been very popular around the world. Some notable examples from Europe are the RES-SKILL Initiative, Jobs after coal and the Swedish Energy Agency’s electrification efforts. What key lessons can BiH draw from these initiatives for its own green transition journey?

Building trust in reskilling programs

Jobs after coal is an initiative from Poland which supports workers from coal and energy sectors to transfer towards renewable energy. It offers individual action plans, vocational training, and entrepreneurship support to help workers transition to sustainable jobs. Its goal is maintaining the communities and ensuring that families would not need to relocate because of job losses in coal dependent areas. However, according to Bankwatch Network, skepticism towards EU initiatives is hindering participation in the program. Addressing this requires transparency, community engagement, and tailoring programs to local needs, ensuring trust and accessibility. The incorporation of a wide range of partners (public institutions, employers, trade unions) can facilitate overcoming the skepticism, and at the same time, give the former mine workers a possibility to be part of the whole transition process. Including coal mine workers in designing reskilling programs builds trust by making them active participants and ensures that the programs align with their real needs and experiences.trust by making them active participants and ensures that the programs align with their real needs and experiences.

Mapping out skills to match the new roles

The RES-SKILL EU example focuses on retraining coal mine workers to transition to RES jobs. To start reskilling, a comprehensive mapping of existing skillsets needs to be done first. This involves identifying transferable skills in coal workers — such as mechanical expertise, safety training, and project management — and matching them with roles in renewable energy sectors like solar, wind, etc. RES-SKILL EU created a detailed report mapping occupational profiles and skills in both the coal industry and the renewable energy sector, identifying overlaps and creating clear transition pathways. For instance, coal industry fitters can seamlessly transition into roles as PV (photovoltaic) fitters/installers or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system installers with minimal retraining (typically around one month) since they already possess much of the necessary skill set.

Anticipate secondary effects from green transitions

While Sweden has moved away from coal, it is still working hard on advancing a green transition. Lessons from Sweden point out that new industries create new skill gaps. According to a report from the Energy Agency Sweden, Sweden’s electrification is set back by gaps in education and labor shortages. The report also highlights the secondary effects of electrification, such as how families will be affected, what are the spillover effects electrification will have in other industries and how to map emerging industries like energy storing through hydrogen or establishing large scale offshore wind farms. Even when mapping out the skills and competences it is important to keep in mind that new secondary job shortages and skill profiles will emerge. BiH can get ahead of the curb by having foresight and planning for the secondary effects of green transitions, ensuring a seamless transition.

Retraining coal workers not only addresses labor shortages but also ensures the workers’ skills contribute to the country’s renewable energy ambitions. Each region has its own strengths, weaknesses and nuances that need to be considered so that these skilled positions are not replaced with low paid entry level jobs. It is important to adapt these lessons to local contexts and include the workers from the coal industry in the development of the reskilling programs. Retraining coal workers isn’t just about filling labor gaps — it’s about building a fairer, greener economy. BiH has the chance to lead by example, showing how a green and just transition can uplift workers, families, and entire communities.

Author: Maja Nackovska, former Communications intern at SEI HQ