Brain Drain in the Energy Sector in Rwanda; A case study of how the energy sector in Rwanda is not affected by a brain, but rather of a skills gap

Abstract

This thesis aims to explain how the energy sector in Rwanda is affected by brain drain, what causes brain drain and how to overcome brain drain. The main purpose of the study was to investigate how brain drain could affect a new setting, in other words the energy sector in Rwanda, as previous studies within the field have mainly focused on the health care sector in other countries in Africa. To conduct the research, a case study has been used, with semi-structured interviews to collect the data. The empirical findings show that the energy sector in Rwanda is rather affected by a skills gap rather than a brain drain. The skills gap creates a mismatch in the workforce supplydemand and has its roots in the poor education standard. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the energy sector is crucial for the economic growth of the country and requires innovation and high expertise for further development, which is hard to find due to the lack of skills. In the context of the energy sector in Rwanda, we have come to the conclusion that the departure of executives and university graduates to other countries is more of a brain gain, than of a brain drain. This sector in particular, can benefit from more skilled workers, as sending them abroad to gain more knowledge, experience and contacts can be beneficial in the long run.