AltGen Team Building 2024
Join the adventure at AltGen! We're not just building careers, we're building connections—with each other, with communities, and with cutting-edge renewable energy projects.
6 Reasons to Partner with a Recruitment Agency in Namibia
Hiring in Namibia can come with several challenges. We’ve outlined six key reasons why partnering with a recruitment agency is crucial for businesses looking to expand in Namibia.
AltGen Namibia at the Global African Hydrogen Summit 2024
Read Naydene Varnicker's insights from her presentation at the 2024 Global African Hydrogen Summit where she discussed the important role that youth communities will play in the development of Green Hydrogen projects in Namibia.
The Benefits of Diverse Hiring and ‘Using the Whole Brain’
Read this Workplace Culture piece - where we discuss the benefits of diverse hiring &'using the whole brain' when it comes to company success!
AltGen at the 2024 South African Sustainable Finance Intensive
Read Kerryn Calitz's insights from her panel discussion at the 2024 the South African Sustainable Finance Intensive where she took part in discussions around Accelerating Climate Action and Resilience through Gender-responsive Finance.
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: An overload of Information
AltGen’s Fireside Chats - In this article, we discuss finding crucial skills at scale for Green Hydrogen projects.
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: Finding Skills at Scale for Green Hydrogen
AltGen’s Fireside Chats - In this article, we discuss finding crucial skills at scale for Green Hydrogen projects.
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: Green Hydrogen Policy & Legislation: Riding the Trail Blind
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: We unpack how policy and legislation have the power to delay or propel green hydrogen projects.
Crystal Balls, Job-Hoppers, and Salary Benchmarking with AltGen
Read about Salary Benchmarking with AltGen - how market-driven salaries can inform hiring and aid the sector in achieving global Renewable Energy goals!
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: Realistic Timelines for Green Hydrogen Projects in Africa
AltGen’s Fireside Chats: We unpack realistic timelines for Green Hydrogen Projects in Africa with a panel of experts in the industry.
Celebrating 12 years – Meet Sean Gibson
Get to know our team as we celebrate 12 years! Meet Sean Gibson!
Celebrating 12 years – Meet Priscilla Gibson
Get to know our team as we celebrate 12 years! Meet Priscilla Gibson!
Celebrating 12 years – Meet Rob Veith
Get to know our team as we celebrate 12 years! Meet Robert Veith!
Celebrating 12 years – Meet Lindy Taylor
Get to know our team as we celebrate 12 years! Meet Lindy Taylor!
Unpacking the Green Hydrogen Ecosystem with CWP and YamnaCo. Ltd
Transferable skills and local investment. Read through our conversation with CWP and YamnaCo. Ltd
How to squeeze the most juice out of your recruitment partners
Squeezing the most out of your recruitment partner! Tips to our clients to get the most out of our services!
Wind Energy : Modvion’s Wooden Wind Turbines
Read our latest #DisruptorsDen Article on Modvions breakthrough wind turbines! An innovative wind turbine build using wood!
Sustainable Hiring: Looking for something a little more “serious”?
Looking for something a little more “serious”? Read our guide to building long-term relationships
Green Hydrogen – Impact Hydrogens HyCooker
Read our latest #DisruptorsDen Article on Impact Hydrogen's newly unveiled HyCooker - an innovative new Cooking Solution that has high hopes of combatting the fossil fuel emitting, wood-fire cooking practice.
Throwing out the Hiring Handbook – A guide on how to get a fish to climb a tree
Digging for gold with a spoon in your paved back yard? Demand for skills in the renewable energy industry is placing enormous pressure on employers and recruitment agencies to find and attract talent. Competition is now global, skills are highly mobile, and yesterdays tried and
Community Gardens
The Solar Works team is maintaining 4 gardens in the Khâi-Ma region that have created a range of produce since they were set up for the benefit of the surrounding communities. There is a variety of fresh food grown at each location, including butternut, onion,
Internship programmes
AltGen supports the Client to achieve SED objectives by enabling youth to become qualified artisans through internship programmes. Six interns were selected and onboarded via the internship programme which aimed to make them employable for the future. Through collaboration with the NCR TVET the interns
Career development and benchmarking
The aim of this project was to assist our client in developing a career path and inform on benchmarked remuneration data for their site-based personnel in the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape Provinces.
Community development programmes
AltGen supports the client’s internal supervisory staff with Workplace Management Services on two of their solar projects based in the Northern Cape, including a 40 MW solar plant as well as a 75 MW solar facility. On behalf of the client, we provide employment to
Community Trust Administration
Trust Administration for a large international client’s IPP project which is an on-going project. The high-level scope of works includes conducting a Community Needs Assessment, Community Development Plan and the annual budget thereof, Trust Administration establishment and management thereof. Activities for the Trust establishment include
The Representation of Women in the Renewable Energy Workplace
The representation of women and men in board positions is skewed...
The significance of “years of employment”
The term “Years of Employment” is simply defined as the number of 12-month cycles from the start date that an individual is employed.
10 Tips for Writing a Stellar CV
The first interview is one of the most important parts of the hiring process...
Digital Referencing App FREE Demo
The world is becoming exponentially more digital each day, meaning that we have to start incorporating digital tools into standard business activities to avoid falling behind. That is why AltGen is proud to add the Digital Employee Referencing App to streamline the onboarding process! This
Get in touch with IBN
CONTACT DETAILS 100 New Church Street Gardens, 8001, Cape Town T: +27 (21) 4222 620E: info@ibn.co.za FOLLOW IBN Linkedin-in Facebook-f Twitter Instagram VISIT WEBSITE
Get Featured!
Terms & Conditions: Maximum of 3 entries per person employee/team member. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. No purchase is necessary to participate in this competition. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound
#DISRUPTORSDEN – GURARIDE and S.U.L E-Mobility: Sustainability in mobility
Some of the AltGen team got to attend the Kigali Sustainable Energy for All Forum this past May. While there, we got to engage with some amazing, innovative tech start-up pioneers and entrepreneurs making waves on the fronts on renewable energy and sustainable business, one
Keyword Competition!
Terms & Conditions: Maximum of 3 entries per person. Once an answer has been submitted it cannot be changed. Applicants must reside in South Africa. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. No purchase is necessary to participate in this
Breaking barriers for solar PV solutions
Our team recently had the privilege of a tour on a SPS site...
Mastering the Interview
The first interview is one of the most important parts of the hiring process...
#DISRUPTERSDEN – Changing the world with small-scale green energy investments
Nowala is introducing a modern solution to a prevalent problem
Altgen Partners with IBN Immigration Solutions
IBN Immigration Solutions is a multiple award-winning boutique immigration company
Establishment of a secretariat; benchmarking, recruitment and selection
The task list included providing a clear SAPVIA organogram as well as an organizational structure. Additionally, CEO and Policy Officers job descriptions and role descriptions were also required. An industry matrix to compare similar roles in the industry was established. Throughout the process, AltGen played an active
Socio-economic development plan
AltGen created a Socio-Economic Development Plan for a 75MW PV project located on the West Coast of South Africa. This entailed carrying out a detailed community needs assessment to determine the critical socio-economic related initiatives and associated areas of intervention for local communities within 50km
Communities needs assessments for bid submission
The brief was to carry out detailed community needs assessments in the towns adjacent to a wind and solar PV facility. This was done by finding the relevant communities and the statutory as well as non-statutory organisations that function within them to form a basis
Job localisation in the REIPP
The broad aim of the project was to establish career pathways and a broad overview of the skills demand within the RE sector in South Africa, with a focus on the Northern Cape to establish if there was potential to invest in a Renewable Energy Centre of
Renewable energy and energy efficiency career pathways and the skills gap, with special reference to the Northern Cape
The broad aim of the project was to establish career pathways and a broad overview of the skills demand within the renewable energy sector in South Africa, with a focus on the Northern Cape to establish if there was potential to invest in a Renewable
Turkana wind power HR advisory and employment services
Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) is a 310MW wind farm, the largest in Africa. It comprises 365 Vestas wind turbines, 850kW each, providing 15 -20% of Kenyan national demand when operational. Grid connection is via a 400kv purpose-built double circuit 428km transmission line that will
Assessment of skills needs and estimation of the job potential for the biogas industry in South Africa
This project entailed an investigation into the skills needs and an estimation of the job potential in the biogas industry in South Africa. The study found that as of April 2016 there were 1700 people directly employed in the biogas industry with around 38 projects
Green mini-grid programme
The objective of the Green Mini-Grid (GMG) programme is the: “roll out of approximately 15 GMG projects that are sustainable and will provide 500 000 rural Kenyans with access to reliable green electricity for the first time”. To this end, the UK, through its Department
Employment & staff sub-contracting
During 2016, through to 2020 AltGen has supported 4 clients with employment and sub-contracting services. The client ranged from a PV OEM, a Developer, Owner and Operator of Renewable Projects, to a Consulting Advisory as well as an international consultancy in the carbon tax advisory space.
Wind turbine service technician course verification
ENGAGEMENT 1: COURSE INTEGRITY: A training centre, initiated in 2011, aimed specifically at providing training in renewable energy technologies. The primary offering is the Wind Turbine Service Technician course (WTST). It was AltGen’s task to provide independent verification of the system, including evaluating the learner
Review of HIV/aids related activities implemented as part of the independent power producers (IPPs) socio-economic development (SED) investment
As a part of its social compact commitment, the GIZ has mainstreamed HIV into its activities, and as such has a compliance obligation to produce “one good practice document on the HIV-related measures in the renewable energy sector”. The report sought to be this good
Assessment of training and skills needs for the wind industry in south Africa
To underwrite an investment into establishing a RE training centre in South Africa, in 2012, the GIZ commissioned a study to determine the absolute numbers of various skills that the then-nascent wind energy industry would require. The research was undertaken by a well-known international consulting
HR advisory
PHASE 1: RETRENCHMENT PROCESS ASSISTANCE In the event of reductions being necessary, AltGen has on occasion engaged with renewable energy employers to narrow down on role descriptions and staff capabilities and skillsets and through a process of direct engagement that provided professional opinions on which
IRP barriers in wind and support through wind energy training, skills and capacity development
The project entailed (1) the development of a detailed stakeholder matrix to identify key players in the South African wind energy industry, specifically in the field of training and skills development, (2) conducting an inclusive workshop that facilitated discussion and collaboration around identifying possible training
Employment measures for the Pauwes cohort
PAUWES offers a two-year Master of Science programme in Water and Energy, as one of the specialized units of the Pan African University, with the possibility of choosing between the tracks of engineering or policy. In September 2016, the first cohort of 26 students graduated
Employment services
AltGen has provided the full scope of employment services for various company’s employees to enter into the South African and Kenyan markets. Support Services included: Recruitment and selection of the appropriate candidate Compiling offer letters and applicable legal contracts Claims and leave management Payroll processing
Employment services for ZMW
On entering the South African market, Zero Mass Water (now rebranded to Source) required the services of AltGen to support their recruitment and employment needs with regards to finding a Business Development Manager and Technical Lead. Support Services included: Recruitment and selection of the appropriate
Greencape skills audit – Atlantis SEZ
The Terms of Reference for this project include establishing a baseline of skills that exist in the Atlantis “Green Tech” Special Economic Zone, an industrial area to the north of Cape Town. We needed to identify possible skills shortages and, where possible, quantify any skills
Community needs assessments Northern Cape
The REIPPPP uniquely incorporates fundamental socio-economic development objectives to which bidders of the programme are required to adhere to. AltGen needed to conduct community needs assessments in 3 different district municipalities of the Northern Cape. We provided in-depth reports on the status of the beneficiary
Fully outsourced HR
AltGen carried out this project for a leading biogas plant developer and operator. It entailed the in-sourcing of management through to general labour. The project owners withdrew from an unsuccessful operations and maintenance contract and took on the operational aspects of plant management. This entity
Sub-contracting
An international client that had recently established an office in Cape Town required AltGen’s support to facilitate the immediate employment of a Personal Assistant to the Director. Support Services included: Recruitment and selection of the appropriate candidate Independent contractor contract establishment, and oversight of timekeeping
Staff management & employment
AltGen took on the employment relationship of an IPP client’s community-based employee and handed over the employment relationship to the client once the employee was work-ready and able to move in HR position for their site-based work. This is a common activity and request by
Employment services in new markets
Our client was looking to enter the Kenyan market and create a sales pipeline in the territory but lacked an established entity in the country. AltGen employed a Business Developer on behalf of the client to assess the market and establish the market appetite for
Solar O&M service provider SWP sewing PPE
AltGen provides Workplace Management Services to O&M clients and project owners’ for support on their solar projects based in the Northern Cape (a total capacity of over 110MW+). On behalf of the client, we employed over 220 of their staff. AltGen’s project team are actively
Renewable energy skills: salary surveys & benchmarking
The salary benchmarking process is complex, with several factors influencing the outcome of salary negotiations. This includes the push and pull factors of both the employee and the employer. AltGen has a database of several thousand renewable energy-specific employees located throughout Africa. We can disaggregate
Renewable energy salary surveys & benchmarking
The salary benchmarking process is complex, with several factors influencing the outcome of salary negotiations. This includes the push and pull factors of both the employee and the employer. AltGen has a database of several thousand RE-specific employees located throughout Africa. We can disaggregate this
What to Remember When You don’t Hear Back on a Job Application.
You found a great job online, you’ve put together the perfect application and clicked send, and now the wait begins. Waiting to hear back from a company after applying for a job can seem like a daunting process, but it doesn’t need to be. Our
How to Retain Staff When Your Top Talent is Leaving.
It can come as a shock when one of your top performer’s hands in their resignation out of the blue. What influenced their decision? Who else may want to leave? How will your business be impacted? It’s natural to be concerned about these things. Other
How to Prepare for a Job Interview
You’ve applied for the job and great news; your brilliant CV has piqued the company’s interest – but now reality sinks in (along with some nerves) and you realize that very soon it is time for an interview! You may know the saying “first impressions
Protection of Personal Information Act – July 2021
The Act has been in play in South Africa since 2013 but has only become compulsory to enforce as of 01 July 2021. The POPI Act sets the conditions for responsible parties to lawfully process personal information. Personal information is described as any information relating
Restraints of Trade in Employment Contracts
While the competition for skills in the renewables space is intense, there has been a definite trend of Employers resorting to imposing codified employment restrictions on current and potential Employees in the form of a Restraint of Trade in contracts of employment. EMPLOYERS So at
Exploring the Gap Between Skills and the Renewable Energy Industry
The renewable energy sector is one of the fastest-growing industries globally. According to the 2017 Global Talent Index, there is an estimated 8.1 million people employed within the renewables space. In South Africa, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) had estimated that an additional
Job Hunting: 3 Ways to Make the Process Seem Less Daunting
Beginning the career searching process can seem daunting and incredibly time-consuming if you don’t know where or how to leapfrog the process. But despite the challenges that many face on their journey to professional development, we have some good news! For most, the benefits of
Want To Make Your Firm More Desirable to Work For?
You may have asked yourself: “ How do we position our company to ensure that when we need new top skills to join the team, we have excellent profiles contacting us left, right, and center? ” In essence, how do we make our business a
Customising Your Profile To Help Land a Job
You are a highly skilled renewable energy professional with so much to offer in terms of your experience and expertise but, you tend to ask yourself: “Why are recruiters not reaching out to me?” or “Why does everyone else seem to be getting headhunted but
Tinder Versus Recruitment
Often in life, we limit ourselves to speaking to the pre-defined fields that we think recruiters want to see on our CVs or what they want to chat about over the phone. We cover the basics in a summary “bio” and occasionally speak to our
“Scrubbing CV’s” – it is ILLEGAL
You, the client, email 3 – 5 recruitment agencies. The “TO” field is blank, or you have addressed it to yourself, but in BCC are your most “dependable recruiters”. The email is received by your trusty recruiter and the first thing she or he does
Tech-Talent Exchange & Graduate Connect Platforms
It is our collective responsibility to turn COVID-19, tragic as it is, into an opportunity. An opportunity to recalibrate our energy system into one that is fit-for-purpose. The energy storage assembly and manufacturing market in South Africa is a quiet but very notable success story.
Areas of Specialisation – A Shift In Emphasis
Over the past 7 years AltGen has built up an enviable track record in initially identifying transferable skills and then placing Project Managers, Project Engineers, Developers, Wind Engineers and other specialist skills in the wind and solar energy market in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and
AltGen opens an office in Mauritius
AltGen has just opened a representative office in Mauritius which caters to our clients who are interested in running our payroll services throughout Africa. The newly formed entity in Africa’s business hub is registered under the name “Altgen Energy Services LTD”. As Africa continues to
GMG Facility Kenya announces the addition of €3.9 million
“The Green Mini-Grid (GMG) Facility Kenya announces the addition of €3.9 million from the European Union – Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund to provide output-based connection and investment grants to renewable energy mini-grids projects. Funding for technical assistance to mini-grid developers will also be available. AFD
AltGen site visits in Kenya and Rwanda with PAUWES graduates
As part of the conclusion to the Pan-African University of Water and Energy Sciences engagement, our Kenyan-based team met with some of the MSc Energy graduates at two significant renewable energy facilities in Kenya and Rwanda. Ngong Hills Wind Farm, Nairobi, Kenya One of the
Green Mini Grid (GMG) Facility Provides Power to Rural Kenya.
The Green Mini-Grid (GMG) Facility in Kenya provides technical assistance, output-based connection grants, and investment grants to mini-grid developers providing renewable energy to off-grid communities in Kenya. This facility is part of the GMG Africa Program which aims to transform the Green Mini-Grid sector in
SAWEP Engages on Skills Development in Wind Energy
After a very successful workshop held in Pretoria on 17 Jan 2018, and subsequent meetings, the SAWEP program is moving ahead with identifying training and skills needs in wind energy, with a few interventions being shortlisted as possible program beneficiaries, namely: Technical training and support
Careers Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Its been a wonderful 4 days in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia conducting a “Careers Workshop” for the very first cohort of graduates from the Pan African University – Institute of Water and Energy Sciences. The 17 students that attended are the best and brightest in
Saretec Symposium, Windaba 2017 and a General Update
It has been a busy few weeks at AltGen. Firstly, SARETEC hosted the Wind Energy Technical Symposium, with excellent presentations on the state of the wind industry in South Africa, some with a more technical inclination. And then the premier annual wind energy event, WINDABA,
AltGen Appointed to Assist PAUWES Graduates in Ethiopia
The Pan African University (PAU) is an African Union initiative to breathe life into African higher education, to counter brain drain, and improve the employability of African graduates. While the PAU is based in Addis Ababa, the PAU Institute for Energy and Water Sciences (PAUWES)
AltGen Sponsors Wind Turbine Service Technician
Nontsasa Gaga, one of the very few females training as a Wind Turbine Service Technician (WTST) in South Africa, is having her stipend sponsored by AltGen while she spends time on site for the internship as part of the course. AltGen is extremely proud to
AltGen Consulting Awarded the UNDP/SAWEP Project
AltGen Consulting is extremely proud to announce that we have been awarded an opportunity enabling us to further build on work we have done within the Wind Industry. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has tasked AltGen to look into the status of Wind Energy
A Visit to Nuwater’s Facility in Muizenberg
Recently two of the AltGen team, JP & Tim, were treated to a tour of NuWater’s facility in Muizenberg, Cape Town. James Morisse, African New Business Development Executive, graciously walked them through NuWater’s operations which started with a look at the R&D lab before moving
AltGen and African Energy Forum 2017
I quote from one of the presenters: “energy is the ultimate commodity. An electron does not care where it goes”. Indeed, it goes to the point of least resistance, always. And my takeaway from AEF 2017 is that there has been a quiet revolution, and
AltGen Celebrates Global Wind Day: 2017
This year AltGen strapped on their boots and grabbed their hard hats as we set-out to celebrate ‘Global Wind Day’ across the African continent. With most of our staff visiting various wind farms and experiencing the magic for themselves, our consulting team attended the graduation
What to Expect When Working with a Recruiter
Searching for a job can be a daunting process. With a competitive job market, having a degree from a top-tier university and a sparkling CV with glowing references won’t necessarily ensure you’ll get asked for an interview. So now what? You’ve tried everything from searching
AltGen Attends the Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit
AltGen participated in the first Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit (ARELS) in Nairobi, Kenya which took place on the 4th and 5th of April 2017 – with over 200 experts & representatives present at the summit from government, private sector, international development agencies and NGO’s.
Call for Proposals for Green Mini-Grid Facility in Kenya
The first Call for Proposals has been issued for the Green mini-grid program in Kenya. The first set of applications will be reviewed starting 1 May, and applications must be in by 30 April to be considered in this round. To register go here: GMG
SARETEC Completes Training
SARETEC Completes Training for the Second Group of WInd Turbine Technicians. The South Africa Renewable Energy Training Centre (SARETEC), the first renewable energy training centre in Africa, wrapped up 2016 by completing the theoretical and practical training for the second group of wind turbine service
AltGen Nairobi Office
AltGen Recruitment & Consulting is pleased to announce the official opening of its Nairobi office. Situated in Blixen Court, in the suburb of Karen, the office is conveniently traffic free! A major boon when living in a city that is growing so rapidly that it seems
World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi.
Sean Gibson, the Managing Director of AltGen Recruitment and Consulting, had the privilege of attending the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi recently, and experienced first-hand the expansion of renewable energy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in
OUR TRACK RECORD IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE
We have built a reputation in the market for our holistic understanding of skills…
Credit: JP Roos – Ilanga CSP Plant, Northern Cape, South Africa
