Launched in October 2024, CPD4E is a collaborative initiative by GIZ, the Impact Catalyst, and GFA Consulting Group. Its first intake includes 120 participants made up of TVET college lecturers, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)representatives, local government employees from the Department of Higher Education and Training, and stakeholders from the small business and energy sectors.

“South Africa already faces a high unemployment rate, particularly among young people. This could be further exacerbated by the transition to an increasingly decarbonised economy if programmes to re-skill or upskill citizens are not prioritised,” said Aradhna Pandarum, Head of Department at the Impact Catalyst.

“This initiative addresses that gap. As a collective, we are committed to identifying the future skills needed in the labour market—especially those shaped by the just energy transition—and to improving employability for youth, marginalised gender groups, and workers at risk of displacement in coal-dependent sectors.”

CPD4E is structure d around two core outputs: Innovation and Learning, and Demand-Driven TVET and Skills.

The Innovation and Learning stream is designed to empower 120 professionals with the tools and knowledge to guide learners at TVET colleges in acquiring future-ready skills. It also encourages participants to stimulate the growth of green market sectors, integrate just transition principles into private sector strategies, and strengthen innovation capacity across education and industry.

A key component of this stream is the identification of four to eight pilot projects with strong potential for youth employment. Participants will be supported through 11courses and knowledge-based online contact sessions focused on deepening their understanding of the just transition and helping them conceptualise viable project proposals. The top four to eight projects will be selected for an international study tour in Germany, offering participants direct exposure to institutions that have successfully embedded just transition principles into their operations, thus providing valuable opportunities for peer learning, benchmarking, and knowledge transfer.

The Demand-Driven TVET and Skills output, on the other hand, focuses on tangible skills development outcomes. By the end of the programme, 12 TVET lecturers and 30in-company trainers will be capacitated to deliver new curricula aligned with green economy needs, while 104 learners will participate in targeted green skills training programmes.

“The project–call focused on the TVET sector, due to the urgent need to transform it so that the skills being developed align with those in demand. We also want to support informed decision-making by providing clear guidance on priority sectors for the energy transition. That’s why the selection criteria targeted women who are already working in the energy sector or who hold decision-making power. This initiative is also about empowering participants to actively seize the opportunities presented by South Africa’s Just Energy Transition,” added Pandarum.

One of the programme participants, Lungelo Zindela, an engineer from the eThekwini Municipality noted the programme as insightful and the learnings beneficial for the locals in the municipality, he expanded: “The greatest insight I’ve gained through the CPD4EJust Transition programme is: knowing is not enough, change happens through action. Whether it’s Solar PV, Energy Efficiency, or Decarbonisation, the knowledge we’ve gained empowers everyday people - municipal workers, community members and consumers, to lead by example. A just transition isn’t driven from top down, it’s powered by those willing to act in their own spaces.”

Through CPD4E,the Impact Catalyst and its’ partners are not only addressing immediate skills shortages but are building a foundation for long-term resilience, inclusion, and opportunity—one that ensures South Africa’s workforce is prepared to lead and thrive in a green, just, and job-rich economy.