On 16 October, Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney and Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas announced that the Victorian Government will be accepting all recommendations of the Apprenticeship Taskforce report – either in full or in principle. To complement this decision, they launched a $9 million package aimed at improving safety and mental health support for apprentices and trainees.

Victoria’s Apprenticeship Taskforce, was established through the Victorian Budget 2023/24, is chaired by Sharan Burrow AC and includes representatives from unions, industry, and apprentices. This taskforce has played a crucial role in shaping the new support measures.

To further assist Victorian apprentices, the Government has introduced three new mental health programs, including the Apprentice Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP offers free counselling services that can be accessed online or by phone without the need for a referral, providing much-needed mental health support for apprentices.

Apprenticeships Victoria, established in 2021, will oversee the new helpdesk and all mental health initiatives, ensuring that apprentices and trainees across all industries receive the support they need to thrive in their roles.

To read the Apprenticeship Taskforce’s Report and the Government’s response, click here.

On October 3rd, Jobs and Skills Australia released the VET Workforce Study report. The report underscores the significant challenges facing the vocational education and training (VET) sector and provides crucial data and evidence to support the VET Workforce Blueprint. Both the report and the Blueprint are essential to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the VET sector by enhancing the quality and capability of its workforce.

Key Insights from the Report:

Rapid Growth in Demand: The Clean Energy Capacity study indicates a swift increase in the need for electricians, necessitating a parallel growth in VET trainers. Without addressing the capacity of the VET system, Australia will struggle to deliver the workforce it needs for the future.

The VET Workforce Study is divided into five comprehensive chapters:

1. The Study
2. Understanding the Workforce
3. Jobs Profiles and Pathways
4. Workforce Demands and Supply Pipelines
5. Key Findings

Things in the report are not new for the sector we know the high and growing demand for VET teachers and the government are looking at ways on improving this to meet our demands.

While the report highlights the well-known issue of high and growing demand for VET teachers, it also shows that the government is actively seeking solutions to meet these demands. The data and evidence presented aim to inform strategies that can improve the VET system’s capacity, ultimately ensuring that Australia can build the skilled workforce it needs for a sustainable future.

For more detailed insights, you can access the full report here.

On October 3rd, the Australian Government, in collaboration with states and territories, released the VET Workforce Blueprint (the Blueprint) aimed at supporting and growing Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) workforce. This Blueprint provides a comprehensive roadmap for national, local, training provider, and industry action to address VET workforce challenges and barriers.

The Blueprint outlines three key goals:

1. Grow the workforce: Increasing the number of people entering the VET workforce pipeline to ensure long-term supply of the staff needed.

1. Retain and develop the workforce: Improving retention and supporting workforce capability to ensure a sustainable, highly skilled and quality VET workforce, both now and into the future.

1. Understand the workforce: Developing a data collection for the VET workforce and undertaking foundational work and research to better understand the various roles and pathways across all VET contexts.

The Blueprint identifies 8 opportunities and 14 actions to support and sustain the VET workforce in Australia. It provides a long-term plan that will adapt to changes within the VET sector and the economy.

To support the Blueprint, the Australian Government is investing up to $100 million over 5 years through the National Skills Agreement. This includes $70 million for state and territory initiatives, with matched funding from states and territories, and $30 million for agreed areas of national action.

The initial suite of agreed national actions includes:

• Occupational mapping for the VET workforce

• A VET workforce data strategy

• An ongoing research program into workforce issues

• Mapping and analysing compliance and administrative burden to develop strategies to reduce this burden

Read the Blue Print

On September 17th, Queensland proudly announced its second TAFE Centre of Excellence, solidifying the state’s position as the national leader in clean energy battery and technology training.

The growth of Australia’s clean energy sector will be significantly bolstered by the Centre of Excellence, thanks to a joint $20 million investment from the state and Commonwealth governments.

The TAFE Centre of Excellence – Clean Energy (Batteries) has been established under Queensland’s Skills Strategy and the five-year National Skills Agreement between the Commonwealth and states and territories. This initiative forms part of a proposed national network of up to 20 TAFE centres of excellence in various fields.

Key highlights of the Centre of Excellence include:

• deliver targeted training in renewable energy batteries, intermittent renewable energy source storage, grid connectivity, network embedded storage at large and small scales, and electric vehicles

• develop training products to increase participation and upskilling of priority cohorts for emerging skills needs in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of renewable energy systems and batteries

• develop higher level apprenticeship and degree level apprenticeship pathways, including through the Certificate III Electrotechnology Electrician and the Bachelor of Engineering/Electrical Science
• support training delivery to existing and emerging workforces through collaboration with the National TAFE Network to enhance industry currency across the training sector.

To read the full media release click here

On 14 August 2024, the Hon Andrew Giles MP, Minister for Skills and Training announced the appointment of Megan Lilly and Trevor Gauld as Deputy Commissioners of Jobs and Skills Australia.

ESA congratulates both Megan and Trevor on their appointments and looks forward to continuing our relationship in their new roles, as we continue to support the ever-changing energy landscape.

Read more about the announcement.

In a major move to support the transition to a clean energy economy, Western Australia will soon host Australia’s first Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence. This initiative is part of the State Government’s broader strategy to build a workforce capable of driving the net-zero transition.

The Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence will harness the collective capabilities of Western Australia’s TAFE colleges and other training institutes, providing specialised training to thousands of residents. This initiative aims to develop the skills necessary for the state’s shift towards clean energy, with a particular emphasis on the electrical industry.

The Centre will collaborate with various stakeholders, including industry leaders, unions, TAFE, universities, and other key entities, to design and deliver advanced training programs. These programs will equip workers with the skills required to meet the future demands of the clean energy sector, ensuring that the workforce is prepared for the technological advancements and industry shifts associated with clean energy.

More information about the Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence will be available starting 1 July 2024. This initiative is a key priority under the State Government’s five-year National Skills Agreement with the Commonwealth Government.

Master Electricians Australia (MEA) has appointed experienced construction industry advocate and policy expert Kate Raymond as its Chief Executive Officer, following a nation-wide recruitment exercise.

Ms Raymond has extensive experience primarily within the building, construction and property industries, most recently at Master Builders Queensland, where she has served as General Manager, Advocacy & Policy since July 2022.

MEA President Peter Matthews said “Before her current role she worked with the Australian Constructors Association and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

“Across those various roles she has been closely involved in strategic policy development, government and industry collaboration, and advocacy on behalf of industry members. These skills will be invaluable to Master Electricians Australia.

“We’re also sure that as our first female CEO, she will bring a new perspective to managing the team and culture within the organisation, which will have positive flow-on effects for members and the wider industry.”

ESA would like to congratulate Kate Raymond and look forward to working closely with her and MEA.

Ms Raymond will commence in the role on April 29. 

Powering Skills Organisation (PSO) has recently announced the membership of its Strategic Industry Advisory Body (SIAB). Energy Skills Australia is pleased to be participating through our CEO Mark Burgess, who is one of the fourteen initial members. The SIAB is composed of distinguished subject matter experts who will convene regularly to offer strategic insights and guidance to the PSO team.

Mark looks forward to working with the other SIAB members and PSO to ensure the energy industries workforce and skilling needs are met now and into the future as we transition to a net zero economy.  Marks involvement in the SIAB underscores Energy Skills Australia’s ongoing commitment to proactive leadership and collaboration in shaping the future of Australia’s energy sector.

The formation of SIAB marks a significant step towards aligning the skills development in the energy sector with the rapid advancements and shifts towards sustainable practices

231026 Careers for Net Zero joint statement

Joint statement – 26 October 2023

A broad coalition of leading industry and professional associations, education institutions, local governments and other non-government organisations is calling for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to take real action to secure Australia’s emissions reduction and workforce goals.

With multi-year lead times, workforce development needs to be considered up front to ensure we have the workforce to deliver our 2030 target of 43 per cent lower emissions, and our 2050 target of net zero emissions.

In support of this, the Clean Energy Council and Energy Efficiency Council launched the Careers for Net Zero campaign.

Careers for Net Zero showcases the many career opportunities that will help deliver an equitable, prosperous and net zero emissions Australia.

The campaign is underpinned by three goals

• Growing the clean economy workforce
  Ensuring the clean economy workforce is appropriately sized and skilled to enable a rapid transition to an equitable, prosperous and net zero emissions economy.
• Empowering everyday Aussies to make a difference
  Enabling students, graduates and experienced workers to find their role in Australia’s clean economy.
• Moving beyond ambition to action
  Supporting government and industry to co-create and deliver an effective workforce development strategy for the clean economy, and education and training systems that can rapidly scale to meet our net zero emissions goal.

Careers for Net Zero is aligned with the findings from the Australian Government’s recent Working Future white paper and The Clean Energy Generation report, which highlights that “Ambitious net zero targets will need to be matched with ambitious workforce and skills policy.”

Signatories to this statement are calling on government to urgently undertake the recommended actions in The Clean Energy Generation report.

We must support the growth of Australia’s renewables, energy efficiency and electrification, carbon removals and circular economy workforces.

Specifically, this joint statement:

• Reiterates earlier industry calls for government to determine baseline employment figures across the clean economy, including a fully funded, designed
  and delivered Australian Energy Employment Report that includes energy management work across the whole economy, and is repeated periodically;
• Calls for the National Energy Workforce Strategy to support the wider clean economy workforce following The Clean Energy Generation report’s definition of clean energy, which includes workers across energy supply, energy demand, clean energy enabling, carbon lifecycle, emissions-intensive and transitioning sectors;
  and
• Urges government to rapidly fund and deploy an implementation plan alongside the National Energy Workforce Strategy that outlines a clear pathway to bridging the gap between the numbers of clean economy workers we have now, and what we need to realise our 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction goals.

As signatories to this joint statement, industry, educational institutions, and civil society organisations are ready to roll up their sleeves and collaborate with government on developing a world-class skilled, safe and resilient clean economy workforce – and the work needs to start now.

Enquiries:
Holly Taylor, Head of Strategy and Partnerships, Energy Efficiency Council
holly.taylor@eec.org.au
0481 346 145

Anita Talberg, Director – Workforce Development, Clean Energy Council
atalberg@cleanenergycouncil.org.au
0405 674 702

About Careers for Net Zero
Careers for Net Zero showcases the many career opportunities that will help deliver an equitable, prosperous and net zero emissions Australia.
Careers for Net Zero is a joint initiative of the Clean Energy Council and Energy Efficiency Council, with the support of Ai Group, Australian Power Institute, Boundless Earth and Engineers Australia.

Learn more at careersfornetzero.org.au

END