Transcript
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Jobs Showcase
Easy Being Green
Thursday, 22 August 2024
Presented by:
moderator:
Emma Dunkley
Speakers:
Jennette Ward
Wilf Johnston
Maria Baker
Jonni Taylor
Joanne Abbey
Gary Lucas
[Opening visual of slide with text saying 'Jobs Showcase', 'Curiosity meets Opportunity', 'Acknowledgement of Country', 'Workforce Australia', 'Workforce Specialists', 'IPS Management Consultants']
[The visuals during this webinar are of each speaker presenting in turn via video, with reference to the content of a PowerPoint presentation being played on screen]
Emma Dunkley:
Hi everyone and welcome to Jobs Showcase for another month. This month we are talking about jobs in the clean energy and renewables industries, so jobs that are good for the planet. We have got a really great line up of speakers today but before we go any further I'd like to introduce my colleague Jennette Ward who will acknowledge country for us today.
Jennette Ward:
[Visual of slide with text saying 'Jennette Ward', 'Project Manager', 'IPS Management Consultants', .au']
Hello and welcome. My name's Jennette and I'm speaking with you today from the country of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Boodja. I feel deeply privileged to live and work in this unique and beautiful part of Western Australia. And I wish to pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge the continuing and enduring care of these lands and waters.
I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living across the country especially those of you who are joining us today.
I hope you enjoy this Jobs Showcase and that it opens opportunities that perhaps you hadn't considered in the past. Thank you.
Emma Dunkley:
Now our first guest today is Wilf Johnston and Wilf is from the Smart Energy Council. I've invited him along today to talk about the landscape of renewable energy in Australia and the types of jobs that are available now and into the future. I spoke to Wilf earlier in the month. Here's what he had to say.
[Visual of slide with text saying 'Wilf Johnston', 'General Manager', 'Smart Energy Council', .au']
Wilf Johnston thank you for joining us on Jobs Showcase today. Would you like to introduce yourself to the audience please?
Wilf Johnston:
Sure Emma. Thanks for having me. So I work for the Smart Energy Council. We are a body that represents the companies that work in the renewable energy and smart energy sector here in Australia.
Emma Dunkley:
Fantastic. Now I've got you on today as a bit of an authority in this space and I'd like you to provide our audience with a bit of an overview of what the green industry is and what the various sectors are. Can you talk about that in Australia?
Wilf Johnston:
Sure thing. So I've been involved in this sector for about 15 years now. It's absolutely a fantastic place to work. Really exciting. Full of lots of challenges and innovations and activity, more importantly jobs. So really when we talk about the renewable energy and smart energy industry, green industries all together, what we're talking about is installation of solar farms, wind farms, solar panels on houses, heat pumps, home energy batteries, electric vehicle chargers, all these things that have been evolving gradually over the last couple of decades but are now all coming to a head over the last couple of years.
Emma Dunkley:
Sounds like a really broad industry and I would assume that is good news for jobs. Talk to me about how the green industry has evolved in Australia over recent years. What sort of trends should jobseekers be aware of?
Wilf Johnston:
The interesting thing that I like most about this space is that there are a lot of new jobs being created and not just new jobs in existing roles but new roles. So the type of things that are required now in terms of skills and interests are quite different. For example there wasn't a job for installing batteries in houses a couple of years ago. Just didn't exist right. EV chargers, knowing how to set up and install an EV charger. But those are quite technical jobs. But if you start thinking a little more broadly someone has to sell that system to a home owner. Someone has to sell that EV charging network or infrastructure to a company. Someone has to create the design and marketing materials for all of those products when they're going out there. Someone needs to sit down and write up the contract or a sales contract when that actually needs to be done. Someone might need to print out that contract and make ten copies. There's a whole range of different roles within that sector. Obviously a lot of it starts with technology and technological advancements but there are so many different roles just around those industries that are available now that just weren't there a couple of years ago.
Emma Dunkley:
Can you give us some examples perhaps of some of those entry level jobs that are out there for our audience?
Wilf Johnston:
So there's a lot of different entry level opportunities in the sector. What I think people forget sometimes is that whilst a lot of this industry is being fuelled by technological change, new products, new solutions, to do all of that work you need different types of roles and a lot of those can be quite junior. So if you're looking at a large scale project like a big industrial solar farm or wind farm there's a lot of technical apprentices, trades assistants etcetera that are needed for people that are on that path that want to be full blown electricians and so forth. The advantage with those projects is a lot of it's quite modular so you can learn and practice some basic skills as you work along and then the more difficult work is being done at the grid connection electrical substation side of things. So it provides that full range of experiences for those technical roles.
There are also though people that are needed in the finance area. There might be people needed in the legal area. There might be people who are working on surveying and so forth. So a lot of those junior roles are absolutely needed and often in those particular jobs you're in the regions. Closer to home though if you're looking at what's going on in the cities and the suburbs. If you're looking at the installation of batteries, of solar panels, heat pumps, all these kind of energy technologies that are going into the home, you need people to sell those, you need people to do the marketing materials for those. Social media is a big thing right now. So junior roles in learning those things, junior sales roles, having to understand how to sell and communicate value to customers. So there's really that full range of opportunities out there especially within some of the small businesses that are involved in this space.
Emma Dunkley:
Now you sort of touched on this earlier Wilf but what are the challenges that employers are facing within this space?
Wilf Johnston:
Well the good news for jobseekers is that employers are really struggling to find people in this sector especially in the electrical trades for example. So if you look about what's required for this energy transition where we're moving from polluting or high carbon technologies such as coal and gas and moving through to a clean economy, there's a lot of work that needs to be done to get us there. So if you think about every house that needs to have a solar panel battery, be completely electrified, you might just need to in most cases change the switchboard on that house. Now just the switchboard work required for all the houses in Australia to be upgraded and changed is enormous. That's before you've actually gone back and put in car chargers and batteries and induction cooking tops and all those kinds of things. So at a very fundamental level there is just so much that needs to be done. It's hard to see how there's ever going to be a shortage of opportunities in that sector.
Emma Dunkley:
Yeah. Really interesting. And I guess it's all being driven by targets that the Government are trying to meet in 2050 which sounds all a bit technical but at the end of the day we need a workforce to support us to get where we need to be.
Wilf Johnston:
Yeah that's right. And whilst there is a 2050 target there is also a 2030, 2035, 2040 target. So it's a ramp. So unlike what we tend to do with our homework assignments we're hoping that the Government is not going to leave it until the last minute and instead we'll be working towards these interim goals as we track towards that final 2050 goal. So that means starting from now we need as many people as possible involved in this sector. And there's some great transferable skills. So you find that if you get involved in renewables and the green industries, if you're in a marketing role there or a sales role, those are good skills that you're picking up.
Emma Dunkley:
So Wilf talk to me about whether there are any certifications or training programs that can give jobseekers who are wanting to come into the industry a bit of an edge. Is there anything that they can do to get a better chance of employment?
Wilf Johnston:
There's a couple of different paths to take. So at a TAFE level we know that State Governments are really encouraging participation in the TAFE system whether that's the free TAFE places or other incentives on that front. With respect to solar installation in some states the certification for being a qualified solar installer so you can sign off on all the paperwork and be the responsible person for claiming rebates and other things, that is a specific training that is available. I mean in Victoria for example I think it's free. In some other states it's either discounted or low cost as well. So the State Governments are doing what they can to get that solar accreditation and battery installation accreditation as affordable as possible.
For the other types of roles in this space really I think it's just all about context and being interested. So that's turning up to some of the free trade shows of which there are plenty out there at the moment, looking online, doing a bit of reading to understand the sector, and just really knowing what you're getting into and showing an interest.
Emma Dunkley:
So Wilf where do you see the future of green industry in this country particularly in terms of job opportunities?
Wilf Johnston:
I think it's pretty clear when you look at the targets there is going to be a green version of everything really. So I can talk specifically to energy. I don't think it took too long for a lot of the businesses out there to realise that in a little while there won't be green energy. It will just be energy that is all green. There's not going to be sort of a subset. It's going to be everything. So I really think it's a matter of getting exposure to this stuff as early as possible knowing that it's going to form a big part of the fabric of everyday life. I see it a lot in the same way that the computer revolution if you like happened. I grew up all through that. And back in the '80s there were still a lot of people saying 'This is a fad. No one's going to be into this. No one will have a computer in their house'. It sounds absolutely insane to say that now. But over time it's just ubiquitous. It's everywhere right. And it's going to be the same with green energy. You see a lot of the electrical businesses for example that for a long time were saying 'You know what? I'm a standard electrician or I'm a normal electrician. I don't really do any of this green stuff'. Now they all just realise. It's like 'Of course I do solar. Of course I do heat pumps, batteries'. I mean it's just another thing. You can't just not do specific parts of the job. It's just everything.
Emma Dunkley:
Yeah. It's a really good analogy and that's the one that came to mind for me thinking about being in the '80s with the computer technology and wondering whether that was going to catch on. And here we are.
Just got a couple more questions for you. Talk to me about emerging technologies and how they might be impacting jobs at the entry level.
Wilf Johnston:
Yeah it's interesting. Because I think fundamentally technology companies have to take a workforce into account when they are thinking about how they will sell and deliver their solutions that they're coming up with. So a technology company will have to go 'Well this particular product, I'm going to have to design it so it looks a little bit like ones that have come before it. Because if not I'm going to have to retrain the entire workforce and we don't have time for that'. So I think whilst the technology is driving change it's very sort of step wise. It's one step at a time. People will move from one part to another. So an example is heat pumps for hot water. So they're relatively new over here and when you look at who's actually installing them and selling them, it's just an electrician and a plumber just like the old systems. No different. Even though the product is radically different, it's completely not doing things the way they used to, still the same trades are involved, roughly the same skills. And it just sort of gradually evolves from there.
I think when you're looking at home storage and batteries that was a little bit of a shift. I don't think anyone had ever really thought about what it would take to install something that's the equivalent of the battery you have in your laptop but 500 times bigger. How does it even work? Where do you put them? How do you lift them? What are the regulations, certifications, etcetera? But I think the desire from everyone to electrify homes and decarbonise energy is so great that we're blowing through those problems as fast as possible.
Emma Dunkley:
Final question for you today. Give me some advice or give our audience some advice about starting their career in the green industry. What advice are you going to give them today?
Wilf Johnston:
Look I think it's tricky to think about what's specific to this industry versus the general advice which is jump in, be good to work with, be committed, be on time, all those boring old man things that I find myself saying now. But really I think what is unique to this industry is the community that's built up around it. So when you look online, when you look at Facebook groups and community groups and so forth in this industry for your particular region you'll find a lot of people that are really committed to this energy transition. They're really committed to running sustainable businesses, to running good businesses that treat people with respect, that really look after their staff. And if you find that's not happening where you are, leave and go somewhere else. Because there is a lot of demand out there and you don't need to put up with a company that's not doing the right thing here. So go out, be engaged, go to some trade shows, go to some events, learn about the industry. And you'll find it very welcoming and very accepting of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences that just want to get on with the job.
Emma Dunkley:
I think that is very sound advice Wilf and I'm going to leave it there. That was a thoroughly enjoyable chat. I really love your passion for the industry and I hope our audience has been given a few things to think about in terms of looking for a new career. Thanks for your time today and hope to see you again soon.
Wilf Johnston:
Not a problem. Thanks for having me.
Emma Dunkley:
Now moving right along our next speaker is from one of the world's largest renewable energy companies on the planet. ACCIONA Energia are building wind and solar farms around Australia and Maria Baker is here to give us a snapshot of what a project on the scale of a wind farm looks like. And she is going to talk about what jobs are being created and how to get involved in this industry if this is something of interest to you. I spoke with Maria earlier this month. Here's what she had to say.
[Visual of slide with text saying 'Maria Baker', 'Lead Stakeholder Engagement – Queensland', 'acciona', ']
Well good morning Maria. Welcome to Jobs Showcase today. Would you like to introduce yourself to our audience please?
Maria Baker:
Hi Emma. Thank you so much for having me today. My name's Maria Baker. I'm the Queensland Lead in Community and Stakeholder Engagement for ACCIONA Energia which is a global company. I come with a background with business, local government and relationship management. I've been in the energy industry for 14 years now. Started in gas but my journey in renewable energy sector began in 2020 when I joined ACCIONA Energia at the MacIntyre Wind Farm Project.
Emma Dunkley:
So Maria we're here today to talk about job opportunities within the renewable energy space. Now ACCIONA are a global company and they deliver many clean energy projects around the country right now. We're going to talk about one of them today right?
Maria Baker:
Yeah. Definitely. So today I'm going to be speaking about ACCIONA Energia's largest project which is called the MacIntyre Wind Farm Project. It's actually the largest in the southern hemisphere so that's a bit exciting. But to be able to give the audience a little bit more understanding in regards of the type of jobs that are available in renewable energy projects like this one.
Emma Dunkley:
Now I know we're going to concentrate on that project but let's have a look perhaps at where ACCIONA's large projects are around the country at the moment. Can you talk about that for us?
Maria Baker:
At the moment we have two projects that are in construction. We have our Aldoga solar farm which is providing a capacity of 380 megawatts. It's a solar facility and it is 20 kilometres north-west of Gladstone. We started construction there in quarter one this year and that will probably continue on for about 18 months. Workforce at that project is about 350 to 400 people during construction and at the end of construction for operations there will be about ten full time operational roles. In our development phase we've got a handful in Queensland that we're currently assessing and finding a little bit more about but they're still a little bit hush hush. But the one that I can speak to you about is Herries Range Wind Farm. That's basically the sister project to our MacIntyre Wind Farm Project which will be located on the other side of the highway so to speak and that combined will make the MacIntyre precinct.
However in Australia we have a few other known development projects such as the Nyaninyuk Wind Farm, Keri Keri Wind Farm, Wallaby Creek Wind Farm, just to name a few.
Emma Dunkley:
That is a lot of activity in this space and exciting times for Australia. So when a company like ACCIONA takes on a large scale clean energy project or projects like these ones what does that mean for employment around those areas?
Maria Baker:
Well this is the part that I actually get very excited about. So from a person that looks after stakeholder engagement and our communities the ability to be able to skill and upskill and grow the economy in our regional areas is major. For renewable projects definitely there's a lot of different job opportunities but I think it's also really important to take into account that Powerlink are creating a transmission line also that interconnects all of these renewable projects and puts them all into the super grid. So I want to start just with that in regards to that the Queensland Government have opened the Queensland super grid training centres. One of them is located in Gladstone. That was opened in May. So that's going to create so many skilling opportunities in that area. Then we go into Townsville. They've just opened a CopperString 2032 office, a new super grid training centre and a transmission hub as well.
When it comes to renewable energy, projects bring so much genuine growth into the regions. There's going to be so many roles for labouring opportunities just as a starting base rate then going through to project management, and of course then you've also got your maintenance and so many other roles. You've got your specialist roles as well. But then you've also got other industries that are growing because of these renewable energies. So obviously we have vehicles that need to be maintained as well. So vehicle maintenance. There's lots of cleaning, there's lots of laundry, hospitality, catering. It's huge. So the circular economy really occurs in these regions because we have the ability to tap into so many other areas as well.
Emma Dunkley:
So let's take a look at the MacIntyre Wind Farm Maria. Tell us about this project in a bit more detail.
Maria Baker:
Sure. Not a problem. So the MacIntyre Wind Farm project is located south-west of Warwick. So if you think about you're travelling from Warwick to Goondiwindi it's basically in the middle there in a little town called Karara. Beautiful place. The construction is of 162 wind turbines that stand at 230 metres tall from base to the top of a blade. Construction commenced in mid-2022 and it will be completed and operational for 2025. But as a snapshot let's have a look at what the project looks like with the latest update.
[START VIDEO PLAYBACK]
§(Music Playing)§
[Visual of slide with text saying 'acciona energia', 'MacIntyre Wind Farm Progress Update']
[Visual of text saying '180kms track completed']
[Visual of text saying '154 turbine foundations excavated']
[Visual of text saying '13,500 tonnes reo installed']
[Visual of text saying '144 turbine foundations poured']
[Visual of text saying '65kms of transmission line strung out']
[Visual of text saying '3 x wind turbines are being built per day']
[Visual of text saying '77 turbines installed']
[Visual of text saying 'New energy for a better planet', 'acciona energia']
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
Emma Dunkley:
That was great. I think it really gives the audience a sense of what a clean energy project is all about. So let's talk about the jobs that are associated with these projects. The numbers that you talk about in that video were phenomenal. I assume that there are phases of a project. Could you give us an overview of what those jobs are and most importantly the jobs that don't require university degrees?
Maria Baker:
Sure. Not a problem at all. So to start with the demand for jobs are going to vary during construction during these different phases, construction being the biggest one. If I want to go through the phases with you a little bit the development phase involves undertaking the alignment of all the planning, the monitoring, the permits, the regulatory submissions, so all that sort of thing. With that we probably look more with working with consultancy firms that are specialised in social environment, cultural heritage, assessments and impacts. So the development phase is more specialty. While then we move onto the phase two which is the construction phase and the most exciting part because that's where everything happens.
Using MacIntyre as an example at peak our workforce was made up of 337 machine operators, which would include excavators, water cart drivers, dozers, moxies and many, many other machines that I probably don't even know the names of to be honest with you. But in saying that we had about 120 personnel that concentrated on roads such as traffic management, 110 labourers. So this is where we were talking about those roles that definitely don't require university. These are all roles which are hands on based roles, quite laborious. But the input that you're going to need to be able to get into them are quite minimal, so very much open to anybody that's interested.
Continuing on with that there was about 98 steel fixers, 45 turbine technicians, which are specialists but still not university, 46 concreters. Then we look at our office-based roles. So we had about 36 people on logistics of the project. So if you consider having to get our wind turbine blades for example, because they're the major pieces, from point A which was the Port of Brisbane all the way to our project site, there's huge logistics for that. So we had 36 of those people undertaking those roles, 28 on the lifting such as cranes, 20 in quality control, 19 in administration, 28 in safety and environment controls as well.
Then we move onto operation phase which is what MacIntyre will be as of next year. So here we plan on undertaking turbine maintenance, land management and so much more. So with that we're looking at having about 35 roles or more for the life of the project which is about 25 to 30 years, and that's just the one project. So as you can see different types of roles, different phases of the project, but definitely lots of opportunity for people to take on.
Emma Dunkley:
When you think this is just one project that's going on in the country the numbers would be reasonably similar I would think with other projects so it's an incredible piece of work for jobseekers to consider. So Maria let's talk about how to find these jobs. How would someone in our audience who might be interested in working on one of these projects – how would they go about finding a job?
Maria Baker:
Excellent question. So we do our best to direct jobseekers to our contractors. So if you think about a construction job you've always got your primary contractor who's managing everything and from there you've got lots of branches of contractors who then do all the groundwork. So our perspective is we direct everybody to those employers. So as an example at our Aldoga solar farm we have a dedicated employment page which links to contractors' employment pages. So if you go to the website community..au/aldoga you'll be able to see there how it is that we ensure that everybody has the opportunity to come onto our projects. Alternatively you can contact any of the project community hub pages or even email directly any projects that you're aware of and the person on the other end of that would be able to provide you a lot more details. ACCIONA Energia have a careers website as well and that gives you jobs on yes ACCIONA Energia and ACCIONA Infrastructure as well. And there are lots of jobs there. Construction is huge so there's so many jobs. Jump on, come work with us for sure.
Emma Dunkley:
Excellent. And we will put all of those links that you've spoken about in our show notes after the webinar. I've got a couple more questions for you Maria. What advice can you give people who might like to start looking for a job on a project like this one?
Maria Baker:
Great question. Okay. So if you don't have a trade and you are interested in joining the renewable energy industries there are several steps that I would suggest that you could take to be able to lift your knowledge and your credibility. First of all before anything definitely get yourself a white card. It is a compulsory ticket that's required to work on any construction site in Australia. That's not just for ACCIONA. It's for everyone. The next thing is jump online to find some short courses. I know that studying is not for everyone so I'm going to say short courses, webinars or workshops that offer a little bit of knowledge. So to give you a bit of an example, the Clean Energy Council have a course called Discover the Renewable Energy Industry. It takes about four hours to complete depending how quick or slow you go with it. The course provides for individuals who want to transition into the renewable energy industry or those who have recently transitioned and they're just wanting to get their head around it.
The next thing is look up the super grid training centres as I said in Gladstone and in Townsville. Have a look at what they're offering if you're in those areas. I also mentioned the Queensland Energy website. And to be honest with you if you're just looking at the starting aspect of just labouring jobs that's all you're needing, is your white card, general knowledge to be able to get in. The industry at the moment is screaming for people. So if you're wanting to get into it this is the best time to do it. We're just looking for everybody at the moment so jump on.
But my overall suggestion as the saying says is you have to be in it to win it. You want to be a part of it, you need to actively go find it. Reach out to people in the industry. They will always be willing to help you.
Emma Dunkley:
So that's just about all we have time for today Maria. Is there anything you'd like to say to the audience before we go?
Maria Baker:
Just on the jobs aspect again, the industry is just getting started. It's such a big hype at the moment and there are so many jobs available at the moment, and for the next 50 years these projects are going to be ongoing. If you think about a renewable energy project the lifespan is 25 to 30 years. So although construction might be say four years and that's where our peak workforce growth is, there's that 25/30 years of maintenance as well. So jump on board. Here's a video talking to some of our workforce at the MacIntyre Wind Farm Project that live close to the project and they can tell you a little bit more about what it's like working on our projects.
[START VIDEO PLAYBACK]
Matthew Bignell
ACCIONA Energia Site Assistant
I used to be a FIFO worker. I flew in and out in a mining project. I did that for a long period of time prior to having children. Now that I've got children I didn't want to be away for as long a period of time and with this project I'm home every night. There's years and years' worth of work coming up in this sector as we all know. This project alone is going to be here for years and years. There's going to be ongoing work for locals for a lifetime.
Aiden Mullaly
Electrical Labourer
The benefits of this job means I'm home every night and the money's great. It's setting my partner and I up for our future. I'd recommend this job to any locals. You're close to home and you don't have these sort of opportunities all the time.
Katrina Mitchell
ACCIONA Energia HR Advisor
I would recommend people to work for ACCIONA for the work-life balance. For me I still get to play netball and do the social things that I would normally do if I was working in town. It's good pay. It's way more than what you would get in town. The culture is great. The team is great. It's just a really great place to work and be a part of such projects.
Myles Blake
Forklift Operator
My favourite part of working on this job is definitely the people I've met and the opportunities I've gotten. Just putting me in the right direction and getting me better qualifications for the future.
Anna-Selina Young
Community Relations Coordinator
I'm really proud to work for ACCIONA Energia because it's a company that invests in innovation, its people and the planet.
Lachlan Cooksey
Environmental Coordinator
We do and ten and four roster, so we get ten days on, four days off. You get more time to go and do whatever you want on the weekend. I'd 100% recommend other locals to get on board on the project and around. It's a great chance to upskill and be a part of the future, be a part of renewables. It's great to be at the forefront of the curve.
§(Music Playing)§
[Visual of slide with text saying 'New energy for a better planet', 'acciona energia']
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
Emma Dunkley:
Well that's all we've got time for today Maria. Thank you so much. That video was fantastic. Really informative chat. I really hope people are excited about the industry. ACCIONA are just one of many organisations embarking on these enormous renewable energy projects and as you say the future is really bright for jobs. Thanks for coming in today and thanks for having a chat with me.
Maria Baker:
Not a problem. Thanks so much Emma. Any time. And if anybody's interested feel free to reach out to myself as well. I'm always here and happy to help where I can.
Emma Dunkley:
Our next speaker is Jonni Taylor and she works for Apprenticeship Support Australia. Now Apprenticeship Support Australia is one of ten organisations that help people find apprentices that best suit them. Jonni's organisation happens to be a green energy specialist so we've brought her on to talk about the jobs and apprenticeships and traineeships that are available in the renewable energy space. I spoke with Jonni earlier this month. Here's what she had to say.
[Visual of slide with text saying 'Jonni Taylor', 'Program Coordinator and Mentor', 'Apprenticeship Support Australia', .au']
Well good morning Jonni. Welcome to Jobs Showcase today. Would you like to introduce yourself to your audience please?
Jonni Taylor:
Certainly. So my name's Jonni Taylor and I work at Apprenticeship Support Australia and my job role is to help people and employers to find apprenticeships and traineeships. So we help with all sorts of things Emma like finding the correct qualification, finding the right registered training provider and more. But what we do hear at Apprenticeship Support Australia is that we are actually clean energy specialists which means that we can help you to get into a clean energy job role.
Emma Dunkley:
That is fantastic and that's why we've got you here today. So Jonni we're here to talk about jobs in the green industry today. Now we hear that phrase net zero by 2050 on the news a lot. Can you talk about what this means and perhaps what this means for jobs in Australia?
Jonni Taylor:
Look it's an extremely important objective that we have. So Australia reaching net zero by 2050 means that Australia aims to balance the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted with the amount being removed by the atmosphere by 2050. So in order to reach this target we as a country are moving away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. So as a nation we need approximately 42,000 electricians to help our country transition to net zero by 2050. And also we'll need a lot of contractors and a supply workforce. So they're actually predicting that it will grow from approximately 53,000 to 84,000 by 2050. And you know what? Growth is actually going to be in the regions, in the country areas. So it's just a fantastic opportunity for people to find jobs.
We also have a renewable energy target of 82% by 2030 and this target is designed to encourage investment into clean energy and renewables. So what this means for people is that there's so many new jobs out there and there's going to be a significant demand for skilled and non-skilled job roles. So really there's literally a job for everyone in the green industry.
Emma Dunkley:
Those numbers are exciting and extraordinary. So let's talk about some of them. Let's talk about the jobs at the entry level. Now for anyone who might want to consider entering the industry what are the jobs that are in demand right now?
Jonni Taylor:
Well the number one job role that I've gone on about is electricians. Now electrical workers are going to be in severe demand and that's because they help to actually design and construct the electrical grid. They also help and maintain the wind turbines. Now in regards to an apprenticeship they are an entry level job role. So as long as you've got the competency you can enrol into an apprenticeship or traineeship and actually get upskilled whilst you're working and learning. So it combines practical and theory together.
So entry level job roles. So your apprenticeships and traineeships. You've also got your administrative type of job roles whereby you could be working in an office. You could also be working in a sales type of job role selling energy. And you could also be working as an insulation installer helping to actually make sure that buildings are energy efficient. There will be a demand for TAs or trade assistants in the construction industry. So it's really about getting your foot in the door and then finding out what career opportunities are available and what pathways are available in that company which do include traineeships and apprenticeships.
Emma Dunkley:
That's really interesting. And when we talk about apprenticeships I've got a few questions for you.
Jonni Taylor:
Sure.
Emma Dunkley:
So how old do you have to be to be an apprentice or a trainee?
Jonni Taylor:
Look that's a great question and a lot of people think that you have to be a real youngster, that you need to be in high school. But that's not the case. You can be any age. So the minimum is actually 14 years of age and the maximum, there is no maximum. I personally have enrolled people in their 50s and 60s into apprenticeships. So you're never too old to learn and upskill and get a trade.
Emma Dunkley:
Well there's definitely work out there so hopefully that might spark some people's curiosity.
Jonni Taylor:
I hope so.
Emma Dunkley:
So let's talk about jobs that are not apprenticeships or trades. What are some of the key words that people might be looking for when they're searching for jobs to find a job in the green industry?
Jonni Taylor:
Look there are so many key words that you could use but really I would say the top ones would be renewable, clean energy, green you could even pop in there. But really it's about popping in the industry. Let's say you're looking for a job as a wind turbine technician. You would pop in there wind industry and then technician at the end. So that would help your Google ad search to bring up those relevant job roles so that you can go in there and further investigate them. So it's about really trying a variety of different searches and different key words because you just don't know how that recruiter has actually written the job advert. So I would advise trying as many combinations as you can.
Emma Dunkley:
Yeah. Good advice. So let's just go back to apprenticeships Jonni. I believe the Federal Government has recently introduced a new energy apprenticeship incentive in the Budget this year.
Jonni Taylor:
That is correct. Yep.
Emma Dunkley:
Talk to us about that.
Jonni Taylor:
Well look this is a great time to upskill for those people that are really interested in getting into renewables. What it means is that the Government provides some support and assistance to people who are working in new energy technologies such as solar, wind, battery storage, critical minerals and biofuels to name a few. So what that means is that apprentices or trainees can receive over the duration of their learning – so that's either being enrolled into a traineeship or an apprenticeship – they can receive up to $10,000. And there's actually a number of different occupations to choose from. There's about 40. And employers can also be potentially eligible for the priority hiring subsidy, and that is where the employer can receive up to $5,000 for the new worker.
Emma Dunkley:
That's good news on both sides of the fence, from the employer side and the jobseeker. It's such a great opportunity for people. Talk to us about what you need to be eligible to join this program Jonni.
Jonni Taylor:
Sure. So the worker needs to be enrolled into like I said a traineeship or an apprenticeship into an occupation on the priority list. So there's so many occupations to choose from as previously discussed. And so in regards to the qualifications we've got apprenticeships. So that is your Certificate IIIs. Then there's Certificate IVs, diplomas or advanced diplomas. And as long as the mode is a traineeship or apprenticeship they could potentially be eligible. The employer themselves does need to be involved in the renewable industry and the employer needs to ensure that they're actually providing meaningful exposure and experience to that worker so that they can actually upskill and help us with the transition to net zero.
Emma Dunkley:
Yeah. Great. And so if people would like to find out a little bit more about this what are their next steps?
Jonni Taylor:
Look it's really easy. There's so much support out there. It's really about getting in contact with an Apprenticeship Connect Provider in your state or territory. You can always contact Apprenticeship Support Australia. We do have a clean energy specialist service in Western Australia. So you can email through to that email address or call the 1300 number. And if you are a jobseeker we can actually potentially have a career consultation with you to find out what traineeship or apprenticeship would be suitable if you're interested in upskilling and getting into clean energy.
Emma Dunkley:
That's great advice and really terrific info for our audience out there. I know that your organisation is one of ten that are Apprenticeship Connect providers and as always we'll connect our audience with yourselves and all the other green energy specialists after the show.
Jonni Taylor:
Wonderful.
Emma Dunkley:
So Jonni I've got one more question for you today. Give us the pitch. Why should people consider getting a job in the green industry?
Jonni Taylor:
Look if you want to have a meaningful job role where you know that you're contributing to society and you're helping the future of this planet for the future generations, our children, the clean energy and renewable industries is for you. So you don't have to be a science guru or an engineer to get involved. It's literally about getting your foot in the door and then actually analysing what pathways are available. Companies do want to upskill workers so now is the time to do it. If you've been thinking about doing it for a while and moving into renewables now is your opportunity because there's so much support for you.
Emma Dunkley:
I know how passionate you are about this Jonni and I really, really appreciate you coming in to take the time to talk about that level of support you guys give people who are looking for apprenticeships in this space. It's been great to chat to you today. I note there's so much more. We could have talked for an hour on this alone. Thank you so much for your time and we will connect everyone to you guys after the show.
Jonni Taylor:
Wonderful. Well thank you so much Emma. It's been a pleasure to talk to everyone and hopefully we can get some more people interested in renewables.
Emma Dunkley:
Our final speakers today are Jo Abbey and Gary Lucas and they are from another giant renewable energy organisation called Aurecon Group. Now there isn't much that these two don't know about the industry. They've been working within renewables for a very long time and they have a lot of good information about where to find work in entry level roles across the country. I spoke with them earlier this month. Here's what they had to say.
[Visual of slide with text saying 'Aurecon', 'Jo Abbey Gary Lucas', ']
Well good morning to both of you today. Thank you for joining us on Jobs Showcase. Would you like to introduce yourself to our audience? Jo I'll start with you.
Joanne Abbey:
Thanks Emma. Jo Abbey. I'm the principal for the registered training organisation at Aurecon and I've been with Aurecon for 20 years working in the electrical supply industries where we do most of our training.
Emma Dunkley:
And Gary?
Gary Lucas:
Thank you Emma. Gary Lucas is my name and I too work at Aurecon. Prior to working at Aurecon though I actually had a career as an electrician. So I started as an apprentice. I then established my own contracting business and continued to study, continued to work in the area, and I'm now with Aurecon in the training department focusing a lot on the renewable energy sector.
Emma Dunkley:
Excellent. And that is why we've brought you here today. Jo we'll start with you today with our first question. Can you talk us through some of the major projects that are happening around Australia at the moment?
Joanne Abbey:
For sure. So I'll talk about a couple that Aurecon are involved in and then just some other large projects as well. So the first one's close to home for me. That's here in the Northern Territory is the Sun Cable Powerlink. It's the biggest solar energy project currently in the world and basically they're running some cables, the solar farm in Tennant Creek running through, under sea cables through to supply power to Singapore. So we don't work on that one but that is definitely a very big project in the Northern Territory and that's solar.
Then in Tasmania there is an undertaking called Battery of the Nation to set Tasmania up for the future in the renewables. In an interesting project we are involved or have been involved there is the Department for State Growth have funded Aurecon to develop a course liaising with industry in Tasmania, and that course being in renewable energy and with the goal of leaving a legacy of upskilling in the renewables field for Tasmanian industry. So that's been really good and we've directly been working on that.
And then the other one is Snowy Hydro in New South Wales and once again a very large hydro project. And I don't know a lot about that one but Aurecon involved in that one from an engineering point of view. But I was thinking I'd just go back to Gary to talk about some other things about Tasmania that are pretty cool.
Gary Lucas:
For sure. Thank you Jo. So in Tasmania there are a couple of projects underway in Tasmania and Tasmania has an enormous amount of wind and water and from that we generate more energy than Tasmania can use. And so this is the reason why they talk about Tasmania being the battery of the nation. So what we need to do is connect Tasmania to the mainland which they have done by an under sea cable and they are soon to build a second sub-marinus link as well. And with all the extra energy they're able to generate they'll be able to send that to Victoria and the rest of the mainland for use. So there's a lot of wind, there's a lot of hydro projects in Tasmania and that's very consistent with the way Australia is. A lot more solar projects in the north and more wind projects in the south.
And then another very, very interesting location which is Tasmania, the two islands that sit between Tasmania and Victoria, King Island and Flinders Island, and they are completely self-sufficient, not connected to either Tasmania or Victoria, and they generate all their own electricity through solar and wind and they store it in batteries and they power their own islands.
Emma Dunkley:
That is extraordinary. It's like what we're trying to achieve on a mainland basis and they're doing it in their own little environments. Amazing.
Gary Lucas:
A really good opportunity to see what we can do on a large scale and that it is working on that smaller scale as well. But for us to be able to do that we need a workforce that's capable.
Emma Dunkley:
Well that is a very nice segue Gary because I would like to talk about the skills that you need to get into these projects. So it's clear these projects are happening all over the country. What are the in demand skills that are needed to be involved in these projects?
Joanne Abbey:
So I think there's some roles right now that have been in demand for a long time and with the 2030 the demand is just increasing. And so right now it's electricians for sure, and Gary can tell us the story of an electrician's journey. Definitely project managers as well, and also close to home, trainers. Because there's so many apprentices needing to be trained in the various electrical fields, therefore the demand for trainers is also high. So they're roles, but some of the skills that are really important in this industry are problem solving, critical thinking, being innovative and analytical, and good hand skills, because there's a mixture of practical and the theory in this industry. And those sort of skills and a little bit of math aptitude then sort of open up into the roles of the future.
And I guess if you think about – one that is already becoming apparent is there's been the big push to roll out electric vehicle charging stations everywhere for electric vehicles. And whoops. We don't actually have any technicians to maintain and repair those electric vehicle charging stations. And so right now particularly in New South Wales there's a large number of EV charging points that don't work because there's not enough people with the skills to repair. So Gary can you think of some other roles that would be in demand into the future?
Gary Lucas:
Sure. Thank you Jo. So I should also say that I have through Aurecon had a role with the Clean Energy Council where I've been involved in the skills and training directorate and we certainly spend a lot of time identifying roles and skills and persons who we need in the industry. If we talk about the roles initially, yes electrical highly regarded. Important as we move forward we are talking about the electricity supply industry at the end of the day so there's going to be a significant focus on electrical and electrical work. There is a lot of other work that sits around that as well. So there's a lot of construction type work. So there's probably more roles for non-electrical workers than there are electrical workers. But if you talk about qualified roles and persons then likely electricians will be the single most in demand qualified person moving through in that particular space.
The challenges that we have as you just mentioned Jo is that there are more than just the solar and the wind that we hear so often about. There's all the new and emerging technologies and it's very hard to actually have skilled people in new and emerging technologies let alone having trainers who have the ability to train them. So there's a lot of opportunities in this space for people who are at the beginning of their career or perhaps looking at a career change as well for varied roles that exist, both current and also emerging roles, which haven't always been clearly being able to be identified. And that's what's really exciting about the renewable energy sector, is that the future is what we make it. And if you dare to dream we can build. And if we put some time and effort into research and development then we'll certainly have the technology moving forward to be able to have more energy than what we need and it will be clean and renewable.
Joanne Abbey:
And I guess that's one of the things isn't it. This industry, the energy industry, is very much technology based and therefore always new. It's a really diverse learning environment because there is always new technology that's the next thing. And the industry appears to be an early adopter of new technology so that in itself is quite exciting.
Gary Lucas:
For sure. And I think it's fair to say Jo that there is both the high demand, high skilled, high tech roles that will be needed as well as the if you want to say more simplistic use of the hands as well. And so where we need to build, where we need to dig, where we need to connect cables. But then there will also be programming that's required and commissioning and testing. And so the roles and the skills are rather varied and we would expect that it's not just one role but it would be a journey. You would start at I guess a pre-apprenticeship level and you would work through an apprenticeship and then the career will just advance and follow from there. And so it's a very, very exciting career pathway, the whole of the renewable sector from construction all the way through to commissioning and then ongoing operation and maintenance activities.
Joanne Abbey:
And from a non-trades perspective, as a trades assistant, transmission construction workers right now. We have so many transmission towers to build around Australia and there is a desperate shortage of construction workers in the transmission field.
Emma Dunkley:
Let's get a little bit more specific. So we've talked about roles but what are the pathways people can explore to get into this industry? You talked about technology and that could be a little bit intimidating I suppose for some people. This industry feels like it's a learning journey across the board whether you are a senior person or you're just new. But let's talk about those pathways. How does someone in the audience today get involved?
Joanne Abbey:
Well first decisions would be about – there is such a diversity of roles in this industry. Obviously we've just talked about that. But you've got two real entry points. You've got that through working through, so employment, or you've also got educational pathways. So I can talk about the educational pathways quite quickly. So in the first instance there is pre-vocational or Certificate I or II sort of level and they tend to be under six month courses and much more practical than theory. And you don't need Year 12 so to speak to get into those types of courses. And then obviously at Certificate III level that's when we start to talk about our apprenticeships and traineeships. So they would come with study and also on the job employment. And most of those have a trade outcome at the end, and for example the cable joiner, linesman in most states, and electrician, they have a licencing outcome as well at the completion of that.
And then there's obviously higher education which might be diplomas and advanced diplomas and then if you're going from an engineering perspective obviously you can finish Year 12 and go into university. So the one thing I would call out with the educational pathway, this is actually a really good industry. They embrace adult apprentices. So it's not just for school leavers. In fact the norm is more career changer or midlife changing career and definitely adult apprenticeships are sought after.
Emma Dunkley:
That's fantastic. And I think given there's only so many Year 11s and 12s going through there is an audience of adults who really should be thinking about this as a career change for the reasons of it being such an evolving and also stable industry to get into. Career of a lifetime.
Gary Lucas:
Absolutely. And certainly one of the biggest challenges faced by the renewable energy sector is how do we find people, how do we recruit people? And the challenges are in some way compounded by the fact that a lot of these projects are actually remote, remotely located. They're not in the capital cities where the majority of the population live. So there is incredible opportunities for people who are prepared to work away, live away, work in a more remote environment or perhaps they live in a regional environment. And the opportunities for them are significant. And so there would be less opportunities – I think we can all see we're not seeing big wind and solar farms in the capital cities around Australia. So the opportunities are certainly there. There is a huge demand for both trades and non-trades on these projects. The greatest challenge though is that projects don't always last for say four years which is the traditional length. So I guess if we talk about also a skill, perhaps if it is a skill, the ability to actually work remotely, travel for work. But if you do do that and you put in the effort then the career is very long and rewarding for sure.
Joanne Abbey:
Also the journey for people in the workplace. Because I've done this for 20 years I can think of a few examples of people in that time who when I first came across them they might have been, I don't know, a machine operator or a trades assistant or an apprentice or a pre-vocational student, and have watched them finish whatever they start at that point and – when we talk about our network operators and some of the utilities, they're long term employers, and I've seen those people and now they become team leaders and they're supervisors and they're advanced specialised in their trade. And some of them are now the manager or the decision maker and the longevity of their career and the investment in their learning and development, both by themselves and their employer, has just made a really, really sound career path.
Emma Dunkley:
Yeah. That's great. And I love the idea that you have the option to take all that knowledge and become a trainer as well given that that is an industry that's screaming out for staff.
Joanne Abbey:
And often people from these technical backgrounds, and if they've been working on projects, the project management is very much a stream as well.
Emma Dunkley:
Great. So Jo and Gary we're almost out of time. I know we could talk about this for hours. But would you point the audience in the right direction in terms of exploring some of these entry level positions? Where do people go to find more information out about these jobs?
Gary Lucas:
That's a great question and that is the challenge that has been more broad is where do people go. It's very simple to say if you go to the local TAFE you might be able to enrol. There are challenges with that. There's no doubt. Because there's not enough placements. What we find is that a lot of these projects are being undertaken by utility companies and large scale companies. A lot of them do happen to be Aurecon clients which is great and we have that flexibility to be able to offer these programs in that sense. So we can offer pre-apprenticeship programs, both accredited and non-accredited training that sits around the renewable energy sector. So whether it is an electrical apprenticeship, whether it's a renewable energy apprenticeship or traineeship, right through to advanced diplomas and the like in that particular space. And we also have our own large scale renewable energy worker program that we have which is a pathway again for those that are perhaps already qualified as an electrician. But there's no reason why you couldn't undertake that as part of your journey as well.
So at this stage it is a little bit more specialised. You do need to speak with organisations like ourselves or perhaps go to some of the group training organisations who are also looking to try and place apprentices, well mainly apprentices, within different organisations that are currently under construction. And they also are a really good opportunity or option to go to.
Joanne Abbey:
So if it's the apprenticeship thing or the trainee thing that you want to do definitely go to a group training organisation. But in each state, wherever you are, be it Power Core for you, or be it Western Power or Energy Queensland or Ausgrid, Tas Networks, each of those have their own website and the industry is really gearing up with apprentice recruitment. So if it's that sort of work – and it's around this time of the year, so from about July/August/September is when the recruitment activities are undertaken for the next year's starters. And some of them have some really cool recruitment practices for when they're looking for apprentices. So it would involve some testing and you might even get to climb a ladder or go up a pole to see that you're not scared of heights, those sorts of things. But now is the time each year to be on the careers page for any of your utilities if that's the sector that you're specifically focused on.
Emma Dunkley:
That's great advice. And we will link our audience to the list of employers. People can find out more information that way.
Gary Lucas:
It really is a blend of the utilities who Jo mentioned and also the private sector. Because we're seeing a lot of investment with the Australian Government and the private sector who are undertaking these projects. So it really is a blend of both so you need to be looking at both the private and obviously also the utilities as well.
Emma Dunkley:
One thing is for sure there are jobs out there.
Gary Lucas:
Many jobs waiting to be filled.
Joanne Abbey:
And for some time.
Emma Dunkley:
Well Jo and Gary it's been an absolute delight having you on Jobs Showcase today. I really appreciate your time today. I hope you've inspired our audience to think about a career in renewables. And thank you once again.
Gary Lucas:
Thank you for the opportunity Emma.
Joanne Abbey:
Good luck. Bye.
Emma Dunkley:
Well that's just about a wrap for today. Thank you for staying to the end of our presentation. I hope you have picked up some useful information about exploring jobs in the green industry sector. It is a thriving and growing sector and there are jobs available for a very long time.
Moving onto next month we will be focusing on jobs in manufacturing in Australia. Now this industry is one that is growing, it is exciting, it is cutting edge. We have some fantastic speakers lined up for next month and I encourage you to register for next month's Jobs Showcase today.
But one more thing before we go. If you could as always click on the top right of your screen to fill out our feedback form that would be much appreciated. So until next month it's bye for now.
[End of Transcript]
