Skilling up Australia's clean energy workforce
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Acknowledgement of Country
I would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today.
Acknowledgements
I want to acknowledge His Excellency Tim Mawe, Ambassador of Ireland.
I also want to acknowledge Mr David Moody, Chief Operating Officer of the Australian Renewables Academy and Berndatte O’Connor, Board Chair of the ARA
Thank you for having me here.
Introduction
This conference’s key themes read like a to do list to build this country’s future.
To upgrade and update our electricity grid and turn this nation into the renewables super power it we can be.
A nation driven by cleaner, cheaper, more reliable energy needs a new energy workforce.
We need to create a pipeline of skilled teachers and high-quality institutions who can train a generation of workers who will need to bring their expertise to bear on technological challenges that we aren’t even aware of yet.
To build our communities resilience and ability to adapt we simply must have regional collaboration.
And it’s important that that workforce reflect the community.
Because to respond to the challenges of climate change we need to bring the whole community along with us.
As I have travelled Australia in my role as Skills and Training Minister - when I go to places like Northern Tasmania, and the Hunter - I meet so many young people who are eager to learn and to be part of this transformation.
In visit communities which are desperate for skilled workers.
The need is there.
I don’t suggest that this is new information for anyone in this room.
It’s what you do.
The Australian Renewables Academy has a pivotal role in promoting the opportunities that exist, and which will exist, in clean energy.
So I’m pleased to be here with you, so that more Australians can seize the opportunities before them – to make a difference, to secure the skills that will enable a secure good and a good life.
Achievements in skills
Skilling the Clean Energy Workforce
The Albanese Government is committed to a Future Made in Australia.
A future that will secure our long-term economic prosperity and resilience by moving to a net zero economy and by skilling our workers for a clean energy future.
This includes work across Government led by my colleague, Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and by the Net Zero Economy Agency.
To grow the skilled workforce to build the clean energy infrastructure Australia needs to deliver the positive economic transformation Australian workers, industries and communities deserve.
Following a wasted decade on climate and on skills the Jobs and Skills Australia’s Clean Energy Generation report found significant skills shortages in critical clean energy occupations.
We’ve been working with industry and unions including through tripartite engagement via the Powering Skills Organisation JSC to help respond to these shortages.
And responding with a number of other focused policy interventions.
We are investing $91 million over five years in skills and training to rapidly scale up our capacity for clean energy apprenticeships and training.
We know that apprenticeships are essential in giving our young people the experience they need to get established in a trade.
We’re backing in projects that will help speed to up interest in clean energy apprenticeships, and build on the collaboration across governments created through the landmark National Skills Agreement.
The Government has also expanded the eligibility criteria for the New Energy Apprenticeships Program.
With the aim of creating 10,000 new energy apprentices in collaboration with stakeholders like the Australian Renewables Academy.
We want to inspire more people, and more women in particular, to start a career in the clean energy industry.
We’ve seen some really positive data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) that shows almost 80% more women are training as apprentices in male-dominated trades.
But we know there’s more to do.
We’re providing also providing a $1500 reimbursement per apprentice per year to help group training organisations reduce the fees for small and medium enterprises engaging clean energy, manufacturing, and construction apprentices in priority occupations.
We have invested $30 million to turbocharge the clean energy teacher, trainer and assessor workforce.
The funding will target measures that will rapidly upskill trainers and enable flexible pathways between industry and RTOs.
We are investing $3.1 million to encourage people to choose clean energy careers, making it appealing for them to go into the industry and stay in the industry.
A $50 million capital and equipment investment fund has been established for immediate facility upgrades – supporting new and existing facilities
The fund will assist TAFEs and RTOs to equip themselves to deliver training in the clean energy sector.
These measures ensure that we are both skilling a workforce for today and training a workforce for a clean energy future.
Centres of Excellence (WA, Hunter & Brisbane)
The Albanese Government is investing $325m under the National Skills Agreement to establish a network of up to 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence in areas of high skills needs.
They will strengthen capability and capacity of the VET system to provide high-quality and responsive skills training.
Three of the announced Centres of Excellence are focused entirely on the renewable energy industry.
Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence in WA
Clean Energy TAFE Centre of Excellence in Brisbane
Net Zero TAFE Centre of Excellence in the Hunter.
The Clean Energy Skills Centre in WA will be a leader in clean energy science, engineering, construction and operation.
We committed $65.5 million together with the Western Australian Government to support this.
It will fast-track the development and piloting of a new clean energy higher apprenticeship in collaboration with TAFEs, Jobs and Skills Councils, universities, unions and other industry stakeholders.
The centre will be a leader in high-quality and innovative training in clean energy science, engineering, construction and operations, supporting the Albanese Government’s Powering Australia plan and the National Hydrogen Strategy.
The Clean Energy TAFE Centre of Excellence in Brisbane specialises skills training of battery to grid, battery installation and battery storage and maintenance.
Battery storage will be a critical feature of Australia’s future energy supply, at grid-scale to support transmission and also in tandem with small-scale solar on houses and businesses.
Energy storage systems enable access to energy during peak time when renewable energy output is usually low, reducing energy grid reliance on fossil fuel generated power.
The Albanese Government is committing $10 million to the TAFE Centre of Excellence in Clean Energy Batteries
Training at the Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing TAFE Centre of Excellence will focus on green manufacturing by transitioning traditional mining, energy and manufacturing industries to cleaner, renewable energy sources.
To reach more students, the centre will include a mobile training unit that will travel across regional and remote NSW, delivering short courses in renewable skills.
This shows the commitment Government has to regional and remote communities.
The Albanese Government is committing $28.1 million to the Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing TAFE Centre of Excellence and will provide a further $5.3 million to accelerate creation of this centre.
The fast pace of technological innovation in clean energy means that skill requirements and supporting job roles are constantly evolving.
It will be critical for industry, VET and higher education sectors to collaborate as the technology is developed and deployed.
For our transition to be successful, we must empower communities to come up with solutions that meet their needs.
I want to highlight one example in the Hunter specifically.
People will need information about how to gain skills, how to get skills recognised, and how to apply for new opportunities in clean energy jobs.
We will do this through our Regional Workforce Transition Plans.
To help communicate these Plans for communities, we have funded a network of Regional Workforce Transition Officers across Australia.
I met Grahame Irwin – the officer doing this work in the Hunter – his job will be to help business, industry, and communities, navigate and coordinate the transition to net zero.
Graham lives and breathes the Hunter.
When I met him he told me his passport is stamped Newcastle as place of birth.
He’s living and working locally, supporting this region’s transformation.
He was born for the job and I am so thankful people like Graham are helping communities across Australia.
This is the type of understanding we want to bring into the Department and Government, making sure that what we do in Canberra works for the people, businesses and communities of the Hunter.
It’s the work you do as well and it is so important to me and the Government. It’s one of the reasons I am here today.
New Energy Apprentice Mentoring Program & Training
I acknowledge your work in the New Energy Apprentices Mentoring Program, which has already had a tangible impact on workforce readiness and deployment.
As one of four mentoring providers under the program, representing Victoria and South Australia, the impact you are making cannot be understated.
This is the type of program I want to see thrive – connecting individual apprentices with an industry mentor.
It is designed to maximise workforce retention and completion rates.
Conclusion
If we're going to realise our net zero targets – and we are, we need to develop and train a new pipeline of workers, this means working closely with key stakeholders like the Academy.
Understanding the requirements of a clean energy workforce now and into the future is crucial for governments and industry so we can put in place the right settings to help skill the workers who will support Australia’s net zero transition, right now and into the future.
The Australian Renewables Academy understands those requirements and has been pivotal in addressing the skill needs of the clean energy industry, particularly in regional and remote areas.
For us to enable this great energy transformation, workforce is key.
Similarly, we need to focus on skills to ensure that nobody is left behind in our transition to a renewable energy economy.
This forum supports the work that we see as critical.
You know this and understand all the dimensions of our shared challenge.
I look forward to working with you to address it, and to deepening our partnership.
Thank you and I hope the day goes well.