The Invisible Engine: Why Inspiration is a Technical Asset in the Energy Transition

Progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) is usually measured in kilometers of wiring, investment flows and installed capacity. However, there is an invisible infrastructure that we often overlook: the potential of people who find inspiration. The energy transition is not only a technological shift; it is a mindset shift aimed at welcoming more young talent from diverse backgrounds. The question becomes: how do we attract talent to a sector that has historically operated under a logic of exclusion?

Women represent only 35 percent of graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and just 32 percent of workers in the renewable energy sector, a disparity driven by systemic barriers that are only gradually being broken. In this scenario, inspiration plays a fundamental role. Inspiration serves as an engine of change, a powerful tool, and a catalyst that allows women and girls to break the inertia of a system with historically high barriers for entry.

When we define inspiration as a process that awakens creativity and motivation, we begin to understand its true value. Inspiration should be recognized as a key factor in reducing the STEM talent drain, ensuring the field becomes increasingly inclusive and diverse. It is the driving force empowering young girls and women to claim their place in these STEM spaces despite existing obstacles, turning inspiration into an invisible engine that accelerates innovation.

A Personal Journey Through Inspiration

This is the axis that has defined my own path: joining as a STEM Trainee with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). This SEforALL Gender & Youth programme, in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE), is dedicated to involving more women in STEM sectors. Taking part in the traineeship opened my understanding of the sector to an entirely new perspective. 

This experience gave me one of the most valuable certainties of my life: that inspiration can shift mindsets, dismantle self-imposed limits and empower us to dream big. 

I am from Ecuador, a country with enormous energy potential and incredible diversity in every sense. With my degree in International Business, I always knew I wanted to dedicate myself to something with 'that something extra,' something that would truly make a difference. I have always been a dreamer, passionate about nature and animals, and I was looking for projects that weren't just work, but had a soul.

That search led me to be part of one of the most emblematic projects in my city, the country's first underground transport system. It was there that I learned to look beyond the blueprints and to be inspired by the topics and the incredible people surrounding the project, since, being my first full-time job, everything was new and I had endless things to learn. I remember being very inspired by seeing the excitement of the people when we held project socialization meetings, while I learned from the professionals in each area how to plan their activities, when I saw international organizations taking an interest in it, and in every small task I performed. I understood that it was not just a transport project, but that for many people it meant much more; that human connection was my main source of inspiration to understand that technical training alone is not enough.

In that process, I had the opportunity to observe closely how multilateral organizations financed several development projects. What I liked most was not just the financial side, but discovering that, behind the engineering, there was a deep commitment to the human, the environment and sustainable development. Seeing how they connected those pieces was incredibly inspiring; it made me question how I could, from my profession, learn from those international practices and adapt them to have a real impact in my country.

However, the path was not always simple. Sometimes doubt invaded me and I wondered if my experience was sufficient or if I would be capable of learning at the necessary pace. I also faced challenges in my environment, from people who questioned my capabilities because of my age, to tactless comments about my gender. I even came to think that my professional career did not have the space I would like in the energy field, mistakenly believing that I needed exclusively technical training to be part of these spaces.

Despite the uncertainty, I always knew that the world is huge and that I was close to finding my place. I felt that, although I had accumulated great experiences, I was missing that key connection with guided learning and mentorship. Furthermore, by experiencing the energy crisis in my country up close, I began to interest myself in SDG7 and understood that the situation was much more complex than I had imagined; there were many facets I would have never imagined and several professionals who carried their careers in the way I would like to carry mine.

It was then that I found SEforALL, and it was like seeing that light on a path that, until that moment, seemed confusing. It was exactly what I had dreamed of: a space for young women, full of curiosity and with genuine desire to transform their environments. That encounter reaffirmed my conviction that, when you combine technical training with a human purpose, you not only change the reality of a place, but you find your own place in the world.

I learned that in the energy transition, there is room for anyone with the will to build. In this programme, I found much more than a traineeship; I found a professional home. The STEM Traineeship offered a space where my voice was valued and creativity was actively championed. From day one, I felt deeply inspired to look beyond the limitations of my immediate environment and overcome the fear of reaching further.

The STEM Traineeship provided a great opportunity to learn directly from energy sector leaders I deeply admire, who remind me that dreaming big is a critical first step towards transforming our reality and our environment. 

I am grateful to the team at SEforALL, especially Ava Strasser, who became my mentor, and all the team at OLACDE for their welcome and for reinforcing that the new generation is both the future of the energy transition and its present.

Operating at the intersection of these organizations taught me to reject self-limitting beliefs. Through extensive training on critical energy issues and contributing to gender and youth inclusion initiatives, I realized that the true catalyst for my continued growth as an energy professional was having the opportunity to meet exceptional role models, draw inspiration from them, and learn to trust my own capabilities.

Building a Tangible Future

The true energy transition will not be built solely with technological innovation. While this is the most visible outcome, technological shift is ultimately the product of unseen dedication, critical enabling factors and the thousands of human stories that sustain it.

The energy transition is built and transformed by our capacity to open spaces where more women, youth and diverse profiles can see themselves as active, represented and included participants in this change. When an individual finally sees themselves reflected in these spaces, inspiration ceases to be an abstract idea and becomes a tangible pathway to transformation. This critical force of inspiration can drive new voices, new perspectives, and new solutions for the future of energy and the world.

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On this International Youth Day, let us recognize the work of Camila and those who have come before and will continue to come after, using inspiration as an engine for growth. SEforALL is committed to a just, equitable and sustainable energy transition that leaves no one behind–ensuring that women and youth have access to the opportunities created by the shift to clean energy. Young people are not just beneficiaries of the energy transition; they are co-creators and leaders driving innovation, accountability and inclusive growth across the energy sector. 

Investing more deeply in youth-led pathways through training, mentorship, and advocacy amplifies impact and accelerates progress towards SDG7. SEforALL remains committed to a future where young people are empowered to explore and advance their careers in sustainable energy, turning inspiration into tangible opportunity, on International Youth Day and beyond.