Serbia’s renewable-energy sector is expanding at a pace the country has never experienced before. Wind farms, solar parks, hybrid plants, substations, transmission corridors, battery systems and industrial PPAs are all driving a surge in investment that will transform the energy landscape over the next decade. But beneath the visible momentum lies the most critical constraint—and the one that is least discussed in public debate: Serbia does not yet have enough engineers, technicians or skilled workers to build, commission, operate and maintain a renewable system of this scale.
This shortage is not unique to Serbia. Across Europe, the energy transition has created unprecedented demand for electrical engineers, grid specialists, protection technicians, SCADA experts, civil designers, HSE supervisors, commissioning teams, cable jointers and renewable-plant operators. Every country competing for clean-energy investment faces the same bottleneck. But Serbia’s challenge is sharper. The country is integrating into European supply chains at the same moment its energy system is being rebuilt from the ground up. Renewable deployment, grid modernization, industrial electrification and manufacturing expansion all require talent that Serbia does not yet possess in sufficient numbers.
The renewable boom has exposed structural weaknesses in Serbia’s labour market. Many experienced engineers from older industrial sectors have retired or moved abroad. Younger engineers often seek employment in Western Europe, attracted by higher wages and more predictable career paths. Technical secondary schools struggle to produce enough electricians, welders, mechanics and metalworkers for industrial demand. Universities produce electrical and mechanical engineers, but not enough with specialization in energy systems, power electronics, protection and control, SCADA integration or renewable engineering.
At the same time, the nature of energy jobs has changed. Renewable projects require interdisciplinary skill sets that did not exist in previous decades. A wind-turbine technician must understand electrical systems, mechanical components, hydraulics, safety protocols and digital monitoring tools. A solar technician must manage string configuration, inverter integration, grounding systems, DC testing and vegetation control. A commissioning engineer must interpret grid-code requirements, perform protection tests, calibrate SCADA systems and troubleshoot complex electrical behaviour. These skill sets cannot be improvised; they require structured training, hands-on experience and continuous learning.
The scale of Serbia’s renewable pipeline intensifies the challenge. As dozens of projects move through development, construction and commissioning, demand for skilled labour will surge. EPC contractors already compete for the same pool of electricians, welders, crane operators, surveyors, earthworks specialists and HSE supervisors. Developers struggle to find project engineers with experience in documentation, QA/QC procedures and contractor oversight. Grid operators require more protection engineers and system planners to manage increasing complexity. Industrial buyers signing PPAs require in-house specialists capable of evaluating energy profiles, forecasting models and grid-interaction rules.
Without decisive action, the labour shortage will become a structural bottleneck. Projects will face delays, construction quality will suffer, and investor confidence may weaken. Serbia risks becoming a market where the availability of talent—not capital or technology—defines the ceiling of renewable growth.
To understand the scale of the challenge, it is important to look at the full labour value chain. Construction requires the largest number of workers: civil teams for roads and foundations, electrical teams for cabling and substations, mechanical teams for turbine assembly, logistics teams for transport coordination and dozens of subcontractors working in parallel. But construction labour is temporary. The more significant long-term need lies in operation and maintenance. Wind farms and solar parks require full-time technicians, SCADA operators, asset managers and maintenance planners for decades. Battery systems require specialized safety training. Substations require constantly updated technical oversight. These are long-horizon jobs that determine asset performance and investor returns.
Serbia’s universities are already adapting, but slowly. Engineering faculties in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac have strong programs in electrical and mechanical engineering, but renewable-specific curricula remain limited. Students receive theoretical grounding in power systems but lack practical exposure to turbines, inverters, storage systems or grid-code testing. Laboratory facilities remain constrained. Partnerships with industry are improving, but internships are not yet widespread enough to produce the required scale.
Technical secondary schools face an even more acute challenge. They train electricians, mechanics and technicians, but their equipment is outdated, and their curricula often lag behind industry needs. Modern renewable plants require technicians trained in digital tools, advanced safety procedures, fibre-optic installation, precision torqueing, infrared inspection, SCADA troubleshooting and modern MV systems. Without major reforms and investment, these schools cannot supply the technicians Serbia needs.
Industry-led training is emerging as a partial solution. Some EPCs, OEMs and developers are establishing training centers to build local capacity. Turbine manufacturers train technicians for assembly and maintenance. Solar companies train workers for installation, testing and commissioning. Grid-equipment suppliers train protection engineers and SCADA operators. These private initiatives are valuable but insufficient to address the systemic gap.
Another barrier is the uneven distribution of talent. Skilled workers often relocate to Belgrade or Novi Sad, leaving regional centers with shortages. Renewable projects located in rural areas struggle to hire local staff. Companies often import technicians from neighbouring countries or bring in temporary crews from abroad. This approach is costly and unsustainable. Serbia must build regional labour pools capable of supporting renewable projects across the country, from Banat to Kraljevo, from Loznica to Vranje.
The demographic trend compounds the problem. Serbia’s working-age population is shrinking, and the engineering workforce is aging. Without strategic action, the labour shortage will worsen as the renewable build-out accelerates. Retaining young engineers becomes essential. Competitive salaries, clear career paths, modern work environments, international exposure and opportunities for specialization must become standard. Companies that fail to offer these conditions will lose talent to Western Europe.
The question is not whether Serbia can train enough engineers and technicians—it is whether it will act fast enough to prevent the labour gap from slowing down the energy transition. Three strategic shifts are needed.
The first involves education. Universities must integrate renewable-energy systems into core engineering programs. Courses on wind energy, solar engineering, power-electronics design, grid integration, SCADA systems, energy storage, and protection engineering should become standard. Laboratory capacity must expand. Partnerships with OEMs must deepen. Students must have access to real-world equipment, not only theory. Internship pipelines must become mandatory for bridging academia and industry.
Technical schools must undergo modernization. Equipment must be upgraded, from electrical panels to testing devices. Curricula must align with modern renewable industry requirements. Instructors must receive continuous training. Dual-education models—where students split time between school and real projects—can accelerate skill development dramatically. Industry must participate directly, shaping training programs and offering apprenticeship positions.
The second shift requires industry leadership. Companies must invest in training, not treat it as optional. EPC contractors must develop internal academies. Developers must fund local training programs as part of community-benefit strategies. OEMs must partner with universities and technical schools to establish regional training centers. Serbian companies must discontinue the practice of importing skills temporarily and instead focus on building long-term local capability.
The third shift requires state-level strategic planning. Workforce planning must align with renewable targets. Labour projections must anticipate future needs. Incentives must support training programs in regions with high renewable activity. Visa frameworks should allow targeted import of expertise while domestic capacity grows. Policies must encourage cooperation between universities, industry and government to accelerate skill formation.
If Serbia implements these shifts, the workforce challenge becomes an opportunity. Renewable engineering jobs are stable, long-term and associated with advanced technical skills. They offer career paths for young people who might otherwise leave the country. They strengthen regional economies by creating high-value employment outside major urban centers. They build expertise that can be exported to neighbouring markets. Serbia could even position itself as a regional training hub for renewable technologies.
The window is open—but not indefinitely. The renewable boom is happening now. Transmission construction is starting now. Storage deployment will accelerate soon. Industrial PPAs are becoming mainstream. Europe’s supply-chain restructuring is underway. If Serbia fails to train enough engineers and technicians, the country risks slowing the transition at the very moment it should be accelerating. Projects will be delayed. Costs will rise. Investors will hesitate. Opportunities will shift elsewhere.
But if Serbia moves decisively, the workforce challenge becomes the foundation of a new industrial era—one where the country not only builds renewable plants but builds the talent that powers them. In the energy transition, megawatts matter—but people matter more. Serbia’s renewable future will depend not on policies or capital alone, but on the engineers, technicians and workers who turn ambition into reality.
Elevated by www.clarion.engineer
