Nicholas Bryant
Good morning to everyone joining us here at TAFE NSW's Tighes Hill campus, and to those tuning in online. We're delighted to welcome you to the 2025 Launch your Career in Renewable Energy webinar, proudly hosted by the Department of Education and TAFE NSW. Today's session is designed to empower students with the knowledge, inspiration and connections to pursue a future in Australia's rapidly growing Renewable Energy sector. Whether you're exploring your career options or ready to take the next step, you'll gain practical insights and hear firsthand from industry leaders, educational partners and young professionals working in this sector. Throughout this program, you'll hear messages from Minister Whan, the Minister of Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education, the NSW Department of Education representative, TAFE NSW representative, and panelists from across the Renewable Energy industry. For our online participants, we encourage you to take part in the live Q&A and complete the end of webinar survey. Your feedback is vital. It helps us improve future events, tailor programmes to our interests, and ensure we're supporting your career journey in the most effective way. Plus, it's your opportunity to share what has inspired you as follow-up questions and let us know what you'd like to see next. Let's get started as we explore new pathways and possibilities for launching your career in the Renewable Energy.

We acknowledge the Awabakal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Tighes Hill stands. We pay our respects to elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples joining us today. We also recognise the traditional owners of many lands; participants are joining from across Australia. We honour our deep connection to country, culture and community and acknowledge their sovereignty was never ceded. Let this gathering take place in the spirit of respect, learning and collaboration.

We're pleased to now share a message from the Honourable Steve Whan NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education. Minister Whan has a long-standing commitment to strengthening skills development and supporting students across New South Wales. In this pre-recorded message, we reflect on the importance of the Renewable Energy sector, its role in shaping our future workforce and the opportunities available to young Australians.

(Minister’s Welcome)

Nicholas Bryant

Let's take a moment now to hear directly from some of the inspiring individuals shaping Australia's future in Renewable Energy. This video showcases the diversity of roles, pathways and personal stories from students, apprentices and professionals who are already making an impact. It also highlights why the industry offers such a powerful purpose and opportunity.

(Highlight video)

Nicholas Bryant

What a compelling insight into the passion, innovation and teamwork driving Australia's Renewable Energy future. From solar and wind, to hydro and battery storage, it's clear there's a place in the industry for anyone with curiosity and commitment, and a powerful chance to help shape the world we live in. Now it's time to hear directly from our industry experts in Panel One. This panel brings together a dynamic group of leaders from across the Renewable Energy sector. From project planning and policy to community sustainability and regulatory oversight, their insights and experiences will help illuminate the diverse career pathways and opportunities in Renewable Energy. Okay, we have with us today, Lexi Crouch, Sarah Guilfoyle and also, Tiff Clark. Lexi.

Lexi Crouch

Good morning, everyone. My name is Lexi, and I work at City of Newcastle and I'm the Climate Change and Sustainability program Lead.

Sarah Guilfoyle
Good morning to everybody who's here in the room today and everybody who's dialing in from online. My name is Sarah Guilfoyle, and I am the Head of Stakeholder Relations for Voyager Renewables.

Tiff Clark

Good day everyone. My name is Tiff Clark and I'm the Manager of the early Careers Area at the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Nicholas Bryant

Thank you. I'm going to start with you today, Lexi. I've got a couple of questions for you. Lexi, what does your role involve and how does it connect to solar and battery projects?

Lexi Crouch

Yeah, great question Nick. So, I work at City of Newcastle, which is a local council, and you might think of us as the people that collect your bins every week or fix your pothole in your street. But we do so much more than roads, rates and rubbish. I would like to add another “R” to that equation: Renewables. So, I work in the Climate Change and Sustainability Team, and one of our roles is to support our community to transition to Renewable Energy. And the reason for this is because in 2019, our elected councillors declared a climate emergency and made a commitment to the Paris Agreement. And following that, they decided to implement two really important targets that we would be net zero by 2030 as a council organisation and also strive to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 for the wider community. And we've made a lot of progress thanks to Renewables in achieving those targets. For example, we were the first local council in New South Wales to be 100% renewable. And part of that was thanks to a five-megawatt solar farm that we built, right here in Newcastle. We also joined what's called a Power Purchasing Agreement, where we purchase electricity energy from a wind farm in New South Wales. We also install solar and batteries on our council sites. And currently we have five electric vehicles, which is batteries on wheels. So, all of these great initiatives are helping us achieve those targets. And so far, in terms of our emissions as an organisation, they these initiatives have cut our emissions by 69%. So, we're making great progress there thanks to solar and batteries and wind as well. And then we're doing a lot in the community space to support residents and businesses, schools and community groups to make the shift to Renewable Energy as well through things like programs, grants and incentives and education as well.

Nicholas Bryant

What a fantastic insight. I'm going to follow that up with a further question. What can students do in their own schools and communities to support sustainability?

Lexi Crouch

Sure, so I actually had a school asked me about this last week. So, what should they do? And what I said to them is, “Well, you can't cut what you don't count.” So, a great place to start is by looking at your school ecosystem and understanding where your emissions are coming from. And if it turns out that they're coming from electricity, you might want to do similar to what City of Newcastle has done and look for 100% renewable electricity, upgrading to energy efficient LEDs or installing solar, or if you've got a gas hot water system, you might want to look at transitioning that over to an energy efficient electric heat pump. That's called electrification. If it's transport, you might look at some of the great models, where we're seeing around the country, like school cycling buses or installing EV chargers for teachers. And there's also some great things happening locally here in Newcastle, which I love. A lot of schools are becoming carbon sinks, so they’re actually building tiny forests in their school playgrounds, which is great for biodiversity, but it's also drawing down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing those in plants. And that's called Carbon Sequestration, which I think is just beautiful. But one of the best things we can do as individuals is pursue a career in sustainability. And just for example, in our team, we have an engineer, we have an electrician, we've got an economist, an architect. And my background's in environmental science but also in marketing. So, whatever you choose to study, you can make that a climate job. And I promise if you do, you will look forward to coming to work on Mondays.

Nicholas Bryant

Well, can you sign me up today? That's excellent. Okay, I'm going to jump to you, Sarah. Okay, Sarah, your job involves working with lots of different people. What does stakeholder relations mean?

Sarah Guilfoyle

It's a bit of an enigma, that one. It's a very broad brush. But in its simplest form, Stakeholder Relations means building relationships and managing the risks and capitalizing on opportunities with anybody that has a stake in your business, in your industry, and it's really broad. On any given day, my job looks like I could be dealing or meeting with a landholder who's out in Outback Western Queensland or Western New South Wales. I could be having lunch with the Federal Minister for Climate Change, Minister Chris Bowen, and everybody in between. We have a significant number of stakeholders. Community is a massive part of that. But it's also much broader in terms of everyone from, in my job, it's dealing with government, dealing with media. “Dealing” - That didn't sound very nice, did it? Engaging. Engaging with government, engaging with media, engaging with community, supply chain, everyone who has a vested interest in the fantastic industry that is Renewables.

Nicholas Bryant

And further to that, what's one project you've worked on and that you're proud of?

Sarah Guilfoyle

I love all of my children, I have to say. It's hard to differentiate. Voyager Renewables, we're backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, which is the largest green fields Renewable Energy investor in the world. We are about 18 months old on the ground, but we only officially launched at the end of last year. I'm really proud of the fact that we have, out of everywhere in Australia, we have set up our national headquarters right here in Newcastle. The majority of our team is in Newcastle and they were all hired from Newcastle. We sit here at the heart of the NEM. We consider Newcastle and the Hunter to be the gateway to the energy transition in Australia, and we want for nothing here. Newcastle is where it's at. If you're not here, where are you and what are you doing? We have three public projects that are in the outward realm. But on any given day, we are assessing, originating, developing up a pipeline of anywhere between 10 and 15 projects. So that's across wind, solar and battery. And we have a specific focus and it changes strategically every day. So, I'm really proud of the fact that we're backed by CIP, we're right here in the regions. We don't have any projects technically that are in development or built just yet. So, what I'm proud of is the fact that we are a little late to the party, but as I say, we'll be the last ones on the dance floor. We are extraordinarily ambitious. We are backed by absolute clout coming in from Copenhagen. And I'm really proud of our pipeline of projects, which is essentially everywhere in Australia except for Northern Territory and Tasmania at this stage. So I think what I'd like to say to everybody who is online today and in the room is there is so much opportunity. You don't have to be in the big centres. You can be anywhere. If you want a job in Outback Western New South Wales, if you want a job in Outback Western Queensland, you want to go to rural and regional, or if you want to stay in beautiful downtown Newcastle, there is absolutely something for you. And as you said earlier, the capacity and growth and opportunity within Renewables is everything from stakeholder relations, to technical, to development manager, to GIS. The opportunities are absolutely endless and your skills are transferable across the board.

Nicholas Bryant

That's excellent. And just further to that, what skills are important for your roles and how can students start building them for a successful career in the Renewable Energy industry?

Sarah Guilfoyle

I think the Renewable Energy industry is ready for whatever skill you have. So, if you're a go getter, and you just absolutely want to have a crack, and you want the chance to have a seat at the table of what is one of the biggest transformation missions in Australia's history, then we will find a spot for you. I would say, in my role in particular, in stakeholder relations, I would say, yeah, if you're a people person, you know, we do get clouded into the “Yeah, you seem like a bit of an extrovert and you know how to talk to people.” It’s so much more than that. I have an absolutely critical strategic role in identifying risk, in managing risk in relationships. And I like to see the stakeholder in comms vessel as being the I guess protecting the blind side of the rest of the team. I have my own work stream and the relationship I need to manage, but also, if I do my job right, I clear the path for everybody to come behind. So, I think if you've got a bit of a nose and a bit of an instinct for “Hmm... Something's not quite right here, or I think there's something good going on over here.” I think if you're a critical thinker, if you're a problem solver, if you're very, very comfortable with being very, very uncomfortable, then I would absolutely implore you to look at some sort of role in stakeholder relations, management, because it's not an easy role. It's not all just coffees and lunches. And I've done two conferences in two weeks, and I've already seen people that I've seen at conferences in the last two weeks. It's so much more than that, so if that's fitting your bill, then, please reach out to me on LinkedIn or grab me after this and we'll have a chat. Thanks.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. Sarah. I'm going to move to you, Tiff. Last, but not least. Tiff, the AEMO helps manage Australia's energy system. What does that mean in practice?

Tiff Clark

That is a fantastic question. So, I'm going to ask the people in the room and the people online: Who here has heard of AEMO? Did you want to stick your hand up? Yep. I'm not seeing many hands go up in the room and hopefully not too many online. That's a good thing. We feel we've done our job really, really well if you haven't heard of us. And here's the reason. AEMO manages the security, reliability, and the market of the Australian energy grid. So, you've met lots of wonderful people here, going to meet so many wonderful people more. There's lots of players in the Energy sector. And so, we're one of the bodies that sits on the overarching top. Really in reality, what we do the best, I'm going to give you a bit of an analogy that you might understand. An air traffic control room. So, you know how they tell the planes, “Take off,” “land,” “don't come to Sydney, it's too stormy. You've got to divert to Canberra.” And that's very frustrating when that happens, by the way. But they're making sure the airport and the planes can operate safely and the airways operate safely. AEMO does that for the Energy sector. So, we have certain powers under legislation where we can go, “Oh it's really, really hot here in Newcastle. And unfortunately, you're not getting enough supply of energy. Alright, Queensland. Send it down and help them out.” So, we play that role. The other important thing that we do is we manage what's called the Market. So, the Market in the Energy sector operates very much like a stock exchange market. Lots of bidding, lots of settling. And we make sure that market settles for the lowest possible price. So, really the end of the day, we make sure that when you go home and you want to charge your phone, turn your lights on, that that happens for you at the cheapest possible price that your parents don't keep freaking out about the energy prices. So that's the role of AEMO.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. And just on that, how do you make sure that the energy transition is fair, transparent and well-planned?

Tiff Clark

That's a very deep question. Very deep question. So, as I mentioned this, there's a lot of players in the Australian Energy sector, a lot of technologies and that's wonderful about the Renewables sector that would not relying on one particular technology to serve our needs. So, our responsibility is to, one, make sure that the grid can handle whatever the sources are coming from, but also advise on where the best places are to build. So, you've heard about Renewable Energy zones, so you will hear about Renewable Energy zones. The Hunter region is one of those wonderful places. So, we give a lot of advice there. We also try and make data transparent. So, if companies are wanting to build in a particular location, that it is profitable and viable and will service the community.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. And the last question for you, what would you say to students who are interested in the big picture of energy systems and energy transitions?

Tiff Clark

Great question. So, one of the things to note is that you do not need to want to go into electrical engineering or trades necessarily to have a wonderful career in the Energy sector. We need people with diverse backgrounds. So, you're sitting up here with three people from three very different careers. My background is industrial law, and they need people like me in the sector. One of our biggest departments at AEMO is the digital department. And within there, we've got a massive cybersecurity team there who were looking at how they make sure the grid’s resilience, preventing attacks. I've got a graduate at the moment in my team that gets to simulate some attacks on our grids, so we get prepared for that. So no matter if you love maths or you love speaking in public or you love coding, I can guarantee you there is a job for you in the Energy sector and in the regions where you want to live as well, so you don't have to leave home to go to the big smoke in order to have a really interesting career. That ultimately is impactful for society, because without the energy transition, we're not going to hit our climate change targets. Without the energy transition, we're not going to have enough energy to be able to keep our economy going. So I get to go home every day going, “yeah, I did that.” My daughter turning around saying, “Mum, there's a blackout. It's your fault.” I'm like, “Okay, I'm doing my best. I'm doing my best.” So having that sort of career where you’re connected to the purpose, I think is the best advice that I can give you all, is find something you're passionate about and then find a job connected to that. And, I couldn't think of anything better than the Energy sector.

Nicholas Bryant

That's excellent. Thank you, Tiff. What a fantastic perspective from three diverse individuals in three diverse sort of different areas in the Renewable industry. Thank you, Panel One. Really appreciate it.

Before we move into our second panel, we'd like to share a short video introducing the TAFE New South Wales Renewable Energy Microskill. This flexible, bite size training is designed to help you build foundational knowledge and explore opportunities in the Renewable Energy sector. Whether you're reskilling, exploring options or ready to start your journey, the Microskill offers a practical way to take the next step.

(Microskills video)

Nicholas Bryant

With Panel One, and the TAFE NSW Renewable Energy Microskill video set in the scene, we now turn to Panel Two. Featuring professionals who are driving innovation, building future workforces and developing Renewable Energy solutions in real-world context, together, they will explore how emerging technologies, graduate opportunities and skills-based pathways like the Microskill programme are helping to prepare new talent for Australia's energy transition. Panel Two consists of Rebecca, Stuart, Nick and also Megan. I'm going to jump to you first, Rebecca.

Rebecca Riggs

Good morning, everyone.

Nicholas Bryant

Would you like to introduce yourself, please?

Rebecca Riggs

Yes. So, my name is Rebecca Riggs, and I am a Project Developer at Ark Energy who is a Renewable Energy developer and operator.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. I'm going to jump to you, Stuart.

Stuart Simpson

Thank you. Hi, everyone. I'm Stuart Simpson. I'm an Innovation Senior Analyst at Essential Energy

Nicholas Bryant

Thank you. Nick.

Nick Monk

Hi, I'm Nick Monk. I'm a Graduate Engineer at Origin Energy.

Nicholas Bryant

And finally, Megan.

Megan Rice

Hi, I'm Megan and I'm an Apprentice Advisor with Apprenticeship Support Australia.

Nicholas Bryant

Thank you. Okay. I'm going to jump straight into it. Rebecca, I'm going to start with you if you're ready. Okay. Rebecca, what inspired your transition into the Renewable Energy industry and what motivated your move into project development?

Rebecca Riggs

Yeah. Great question. So, whilst I was studying, I got the opportunity to study not only in Australia but overseas. And with doing that, I saw lots of different environments. Part of my degree was also looking at climate physics. So, we got to see the effect of our use of energy over many, many years on the climate. I am a big believer in “Be the change you want to see.” So part of jumping into project development in Renewables was that I wanted to see more clean energy in the environment and developing projects that I could look after my own was the most obvious way for me to do that.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. And you just touched on sort of your pathway of physics, etc. Can you just explore that a bit further for us?

Rebecca Riggs

Yeah, so there's lots of different ways to get into what we're doing. My pathway was through university. I studied geology and geophysics. Now, Renewables is not the most obvious career pathway. After studying that, typically you would go into mining. However, I, while I was doing that, I really found the climate side of that interesting. And I took the opportunity, then, once I graduated, to go overseas and I went to Germany, and I studied climate physics in Germany, when, at the time, when I was looking at degrees in Australia, there wasn't a lot on climate related degrees and renewable. So, it's really great to see that that's changing. And I went over to Germany and studied climate physics. Germany has a great Renewable Energy industry, and it just gave me so many opportunities to see technologies and industries that weren't yet available in Australia, which are now starting to come into fruition.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah, what a fantastic insight. In managing diverse aspects like consultants, budgets and planning approvals, what's one unexpected challenge you've encountered on your job?

Rebecca Riggs

That's a really good question. There's lots of different challenges that come with all those different items. I think the most, one that I see sort of every day, is that all of those items are run by people. And people need to get along with each other to make things move forward. So, making sure you're on top of and managing personalities in the room and that sort of thing is really the key to moving things forward because otherwise it can really just grind things to a halt. Yeah.

Nicholas Bryant

And for the students in the room and also online, students passionate about the environment that ensure where they fit, what advice would you give them about finding meaningful career paths?

Rebecca Riggs

Difficult question. But I think the most important thing and I think the earlier panelists touched on it as well, is you've got to really just stay curious. And you want to be doing, if you are working a job that you like, you will never really work. And I know people tell that, say that to you every single day, but it really, really is. It's really true. If you're doing something that you can see really agrees with your personality and what you enjoy, I think you would never actually work. So, I think stay curious. Talk to your teachers and talk to them about career pathways and just understand the opportunities that you have out there. Much like what people are doing today.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah. Very good. Thank you. Stuart, are you ready?

Stuart Simpson

I'm ready.

Nicholas Bryant

Okay. Question number one. Stuart, you’re helping transform everyday infrastructure into clean energy solution. What does innovation look like in your role day to day?

Stuart Simpson

It looks very different every day. For those that don't know Essential Energy, we do the poles and wires that distribute electricity across the state. So, we service 95% in New South Wales. So, I've been with the central energy for, coming on four years, actually. So, I started through an internship and then a graduate programme. Early on, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew that I was very interested in the sector. And as everyone spoken about how diverse it is. So, I knew that there was going to be plenty of different opportunities. So, I was really lucky to come through the graduate programme and then find my way into Essentials Innovation team. So, we have a really small team, and we work on a number of different things. So, a lot of my focus over the last couple of years has been around electric vehicles. You may not necessarily think that’s a poles and wires business, but it's really diverse. So, I've done a lot of things with the industry on putting EV chargers, on power poles, for example. So, I helped a company put the first one of those on our network at Hawks Nest. I've also worked on some other EV charger projects. So, in Port Macquarie, we put an EV charger, a first of its kind inside of a composite street light column. And we've just recently also put one inside of a composite power pole. So, inside the actual pole. So, we're looking at new ways of doing things and getting accessibility out there for our customers and trying to make the most of our assets that are spread across the state. I also have been working on vehicle to grid technology. So, think about your battery in your car that is now an asset where you can start using that and put the energy back into your home or back into the grid, which has immense benefits for customers. So recently as a company, we were working with that about two days ago, just released that to the public. So it's, yeah, that's the sort of industry that's cutting edge and innovation that we've been working on.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah, that's excellent. Now, further to that, these projects, how do they shape jobs in Renewable Energy and infrastructure?

Stuart Simpson

Yeah, very good question. So as everyone's spoken about, the energy transition is immense and massive. And there's a lot of jobs that are coming into this sector. It's evolving every day. These projects that I've just been talking about, they require everything right through from digital support, project management, analyst, planning, technicians out there in the field. So, there's a huge number of jobs that are needed from this. At Essential Energy, we've got, graduate programs, apprenticeships and training programs to try and bring in students into the industry, bring in new work into the industry. And yeah, really get people into that field because there is many, many jobs that are needed out there and being created to serve those new innovations and new technologies.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah. That's excellent. Thank you, Stuart. Going to jump across to you, Nick.

Nick Monk

Hey Nick.

Nicholas Bryant

Okay. Question one. Nick, you've worked on battery energy storage. Can you explain what that is and why it matters?

Nick Monk

Yeah. Thanks, Nick. So, battery energy storage systems are a way that we can store wind and solar as well as all other sorts of generators, and dispatch that energy back at night when people need it.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. What's been the most exciting part of your graduate program so far?

Nick Monk

Yeah, so being on the battery project has been fantastic. So being on site has been a great opportunity to see how projects are really built. And this is my second rotation. So, I was also on the wind team last year. And so being able to see how Origin's portfolio is going to change in the future as well.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah. That's excellent. Different technologies for storage. Thank you. And finally, what would you say to students who are curious about engineering but don't know where to begin?

Nick Monk

Yeah. So as boring as it sounds, the maths and the science and the tech subjects at school are very important. But as long as you're doing something which is of interest, you'll sort of guide your way in. And as Stuart was saying, and everyone else’s been saying, it's that it takes a team to really bring these projects to life and to really lead this change that we all need to be a part of.

Nicholas Bryant

Yeah. Thank you. Thanks, Nick. Okay, I'm going to jump to you, Megan. Megan, you began your career as an electrical apprentice. What sparked your interest in trades? And what was it like entering that space as a young person?

Megan Rice

Thank you. So, my journey began at the end of my high school journey in Year 12. As most of you, some of you here today might have that big question. What am I going to do? So, I was in a private school setting, and there was definitely a large push towards university pathways. Apprenticeships weren't really spoken about, especially being female. It was a bit of a shock. And I still remember to this day when I came out and said, no, I'm actually going to do a trade. My teacher's face dropped. If you told me I was going to take on the tools, I think I would have laughed at you. But here I am today. But definitely a big influence, for me, was my dad. He was in the industry, and so that opened up that lifestyle for me, and I got to see what a trade can offer, especially in Renewables, the flexibility, the career growth and the opportunities are endless. And no matter what skill set you have, there's always a place for you.

Nicholas Bryant

Thank you. In your current role, you support apprentices in Clean Energy and advocate for women in trades. What's a key challenge you see newcomers facing, and how do you guide them through that?

Megan Rice

Yeah. Great question. So, three main challenges we do see are first, job connection. So, for example, through our women trading program, through job seekers, we can help them with exploring job opportunities tailored for them, support with résumé and career writing, cover letter writing. But also getting that confidence and insight into what pathway may be best for them. And then career progression is definitely a big challenge. Where can I go from here? That uncertainty about pathways in the industry. So specifically for Clean Energy, we can look at different upskilling opportunities past their initial apprenticeship that they may want to pursue, such as leadership positions, especially, but also opening up their awareness into the industry. So information about the Renewable Energy zones, even Microskills are also a great one, job seekers can do as well just to get a taste of the industry and see what would work for them. But yeah, even another challenge we see, people who are already in their journey staying within that journey. So what my role involves is mentor and personal support things where you can help with are mental health, financial access to flexible job opportunities to help you continue progressing. But also career progression is definitely a big one as well.

Nicholas Bryant

That's excellent. Thank you. Thank you, Panel Two. Fantastic overview. You might recognise some of these faces from the video previously. Great information for pathways for our young audience. Thank you.

A huge thank you to all our panelists for sharing your time, insights, and experience today. Your contributions have helped paint a clearer picture of what a future in Renewable Energy looks like. From innovation and community impact to hands-on career pathways, your stories and perspective are truly inspiring and we're grateful for your role in supporting the next generation of Renewable Energy professionals.

Next, we welcome Amanda Hine, Head Teacher of Careers from the Educational Pathway program at the Department of Education. Amanda is passionate about helping students exploring career options and discover pathways that match their interests and strengths. Whether you're curious about subject choices, work experience, or early training pathways, Amanda's insights will help you understand how today's choices can shape tomorrow's opportunities in Renewable Energy.

Amanda Hine

Good morning. I am Amanda Hine, Head Teacher Careers for the Educational Pathways program in Newcastle. It's great to be part of an event today that shines a spotlight on the future of our Renewable Energy and the career opportunities it holds for our students. I'm here to share with you what you can do right now while you're still at school. This transformation is already happening and you can start to prepare for a career in this sector. So here's five key actions that you can take away today.

Explore your local area. New South Wales has Renewable Energy zones. You might have heard REZs, where Clean Energy projects are growing. Check your local council or government websites to see what's planned in your areas. This will help you understand where the jobs will be and what skills will be in demand in the future.

You need to get involved early. Programs like today, connecting with industry, RIEP programs, TAFE YES and Start Your Future courses. And as well as HeadStart courses if you’re at an EPP school. Try work experience options in areas like electrical trades, engineering, metal fabrication or I.T. Talking to people in the industry will help you learn what it's really like and helps you build your confidence and your skills. You need to know the roles that are out there and know yourself. And as the panelists have said, try and match those. Whether you're into hands-on work like building and infrastructure, or more into science, technology or business, careers in Renewable Energy are diverse, and there's plenty of options. Environmental science, Renewable Energy engineering, IT, cybersecurity, digital systems, business roles and project management. There's so many out there. Think about what you're good at and what you enjoy. There's a role for you in this industry, whether you like building things, solving problems, or managing projects. Making the most out of your school subjects and the training that is available to you now while you're still at school. So, selecting subjects that match what you're good at, what you enjoy and the kind of jobs that you might want to try in the future. This could include science. Information technology, engineering. Maths, geography. If your school has STEM elective classes or even try a vocational education and training course or VET courses for secondary students. They could be offered at your school and include trade areas such as metals and engineering or construction pathways, so you can gain those practical hands-on skills. There's also a new Certificate II, which is exciting. It's coming. Resources in Infrastructure, currently being planned, that will help students build a strong foundation in Renewable Energy related careers. You might also consider externally delivered VET courses, such as EVET, to gain nationally recognised qualifications while you're still at school. If you're in Year 10 or above, you might want to explore school-based apprenticeships or traineeships. We call them SBATS. These allow you to start your trade or qualification while you're completing your HSC. You can gain real work skills with an employer, attend training, gaining a Certificate II or higher in your chosen field. SBATS are a great way to start your journey to build skills, earn money while you're learning, and take your steps into the Clean Energy workforce. These choices will give you hands-on experience but will also help you transition to further study or work. They could lead to post-school study, including a diploma in Renewable Energy Engineering, or university degrees in science, technology or engineering.

Lastly, a few tips for taking your next steps from today. Think about what has sparked your interest today. Talk to people and let that guide your next steps. I encourage students to find the right pathway for you. Stay curious, talk to people in the industry as much as you can and follow those Renewable Energy news. Do some research. Keep learning about what's possible. Keep exploring and look out for industry programs like this. Get involved in industry as much as you can. Most importantly, talk with your careers adviser at school. These ideas that you have, keep them growing. Get guidance and gain support on your journey. Ask questions about school programs like SBAT, VET, work experience and match them to your interests. With significant investment in green technology across our state, the transition to Renewable Energy is opening exciting career opportunities for you as young people today. You will play a key role in shaping the workforce of our new future. And like the panels have all said today, stay curious and keep asking questions. There's a lot of adults that are here and willing to help you along your journey. There's a place for you in Renewable Energy future and we wish you all the best.

Nicholas Bryant

Thank you so much, Amanda, for your inspiring presentation and for sharing your passion for helping students find their future pathways. Now we have Chhavi Shaw, Industry Innovation Specialist from TAFE New South Wales. With over 16 years of experience in learning development. Chhavi knows how to help people turn their interest into real-world skills. She leads a team that delivers training across industries and is a specialist in vocational education and career development. Chhavi.

Chhavi Shaw

Thanks, Nick. Good morning, everyone. My name is Chhavi Shaw. I'm the industry innovation specialist aligned to the construction and energy faculty at New South Wales. Why are we here today? So, at TAFE New South Wales, we are super committed and very passionate to shape your future, to be able to build a very strong pipeline of workforce, to then, start to enhance the Renewable sector that we're all kind of really excited about today. So, what you see on the screen is all of the different sectors that the Renewable Energy actually is touching at every point. So, we're looking at automotive. We're looking at mechanical, looking at mining, civil construction, electrotechnology. There's... It's a minefield. You pick up any industry. You pick up any sector. Renewable Energy is everywhere.

So, you've heard it from the panel members today. All our industry experts, the young professionals that anything that you choose, you should be able to find a pathway for yourself in the sector which is ever growing right now. Looking at a couple of things that we do, at TAFE NSW, so one of the first things that we can all encourage you to do is a Microskill. So, I'll give you an analogy. We go to a cinema, we go for our favourite movie. And before watching a favourite movie, we actually watch a trailer. Microskill is like a trailer for you. So, it gives you a really good way to kind of understand what the sector is all about. What is it that you going to be passionate about? Look at some really exciting things in it. Microskills are short and sharp. They're only from 2 to 5 hours, at length. And what you can do is you can just immerse yourself. It is all fully online. Jump in the Microskills, learn a little bit more about the sector, and then you can ask those exciting questions so that you can then start to advance your career into that particular stream that you're looking at.

Apart from the Microskills that we offer, we also offer a lot of short courses, hands-on trades courses as well. So anywhere from two days to six days to ten-day long courses as what TAFE offers. Our teachers are very, very passionate. They give you hands-on experience. It's not behind the books. So, you're not kind of sitting out looking into your books or kind of studying all the way. You're actually getting some hands-on training and experience as well. So, dive into those short courses, get onto our website and learn a little bit more about it.

Apart from the Microskills and the short courses, there are some really strong pathways as well, starting from Certificate II, Certificate III Certificate IV, to up till diploma and advanced diploma level as well. We've got Certificate II in Renewable Energy. We've also got a new one coming up which is a Certificate II in Career Start in our Clean Energy sector, too. There’s Certificate III in Electrotechnology, which is your electricians trades pathway. And you can move on to the diplomas and then advanced diploma and into university degrees, if that's what you're looking forward to. And the last screen, I'll speak to a few Microskills that are out there for you to try. So there is one in Prepare to work in the Renewable Energy industry. That's an exciting one to look at.

One of the videos that you just watched earlier in the session today comes out one of that Microskill. You've also got grid scale battery, you can get into knowing more about the wind farms, solar energy. You can jump on to any of these Microskills and get to learn a little bit more about what the sector is all about. So I'll encourage you all today to ask as many questions as possible. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Ask the questions. Get to know a little bit more about the sector. Find out what you’re passionate about. Jump on to our website, speak to us and we help you guide your future. Wishing you all the very best. Thank you.

Nicholas Bryant

Thanks, Chhavi. And we now invite our panelists back to respond to questions from our audience who are here with us in person or online. Now, I do have one question. I'm going to direct this question to you, Tiff. I think you might be best positioned for this one, if that's okay. It's a bit of a bit of a two parter, possibly. Okay. So, the current Federal Government has a set target for 82% of Australia's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. So, while inspiring, achieving this goal will require significant investment by financial and human resources. What opportunities could this transition create for the future workforce in today's school students? And what subject choices should students consider if they're aspiring to pursue careers in the growing Renewable Energy sector?

Tiff Clark

Whoever wrote that question, well done, well done. No, that's a fantastic question. I think what I want to highlight is that the Energy sector isn’t an industry that's just going to be around for the next ten years. The Energy sector is going to be around for the next 100 years, and you can have a career full life in the sector, but it is transitioning, and it is changing. As we know we're turning off the coal fire. We're moving to more renewable. And so, the skill sets that are evolving. So, the one skill sets that no matter which part of the Energy sector you want to go into, is you do have to be comfortable with technology, that includes artificial intelligence, that includes elements of coding. So, you can no longer be an electrical engineer and not know how to code. So... But it doesn't mean you have to do a degree in it or you have to do tertiary studies. So, what I do encourage you at school is look at the technology that you can access. Now, I know some teachers are going to not like me for this but play around with artificial intelligence as you are doing your assignments and seeing what you can deploy, because that's the life skill you will use in the Energy sector because it is moving towards those more digital platforms and digital interactions. I hope that answers your question, Nick, because that is a big question and well done to whoever wrote that.

Nicholas Bryant

It was a very interesting question. Correct. Okay, this next question I'm going to go to Stuart for this one. Are there roles for people who are not into science or engineering?

Stuart Simpson

Plenty, plenty. We just heard about HR questions. That might be a particular one to think of, but yeah, you can pretty much look at anything. Commerce is good one, anything business related. People who want to be technical in the field. Yes, there is a bit of science and engineering stuff to it, but it's a lot of on the job training, you can do that. So, like with the traineeships and apprenticeships I mentioned earlier, they are a mix of on the field training and in classroom training. So, you get to do a bit of both. So, you don't have to be super technical in those sort of areas. You don't have to be, yeah, you don't have to like those sort of things. Particularly things like project management or things behind the business that you don't necessarily see. There's a lot of roles in there that you don't need to be science or engineering related.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. And I might jump to Megan with this next one if you're okay with this. Can you name one challenge the Renewable sector is facing right now and how people may be able to solve it.

Megan Rice

I think one of the biggest challenges we say currently is people in other industries who want to pursue a Renewable Energy career, but getting those skills is probably the one challenge we are seeing. So that's why with things like Microskills and on the job training are really good pathways, because it doesn't mean that the skills you have now are useless. They can be used in other areas.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. Lexi, I’m on to you with this one. From your perspective, how do people find out if there's any work experience in a particular field through City of Newcastle, hopefully I'll got that correct.

Lexi Crouch

Yeah, sure. So we've got plenty of information available on our website about all of the different opportunities that we offer for young people. We have a program for secondary students called Fresh Start, I believe, to get some experience while you're in high school at this high school level, so placements and things like that. We've also just partnered with the NSW government on a new program called the Fresh Start program, where we're hiring undergraduate students at universities as well. Three weeks ago, we had an undergraduate climate change and sustainability officer join our team, and she's studying Renewable Energy engineering at university. So, it's fantastic to be able to support these students with real paying roles, getting hands-on experience in local government. And I believe we hired about 20 different positions as part of that. And all across the business from planning, from project management, in our digital team, environmental assets, there's lots of different opportunities across government where you can work for the environment, work for the community, and also work in the Renewable Energy sector. So, there's lots of opportunities and just keep an eye out, ask questions and put your hand up at everything.

Nicholas Bryant

That's excellent. And just on that program, how do the people here today, for example, how do they find out about it? Is it online? Is it, you know, do they come to the council itself? Is it well promoted within the schools?

Lexi Crouch

So that particular one I mentioned is just we advertise through the normal channels. So, on City of Newcastle's website, we have a careers and job section so you can see what opportunities are coming up. We also advertise on Seek and other platforms like that. We also try and advertise through the TAFEs and the universities to find students that are in these relevant courses that are looking for careers and want to get a head start by working in the industry while they're still studying, which I highly recommend.

Nicholas Bryant

That's excellent. Thank you. And I've just got, I'm going to go with one last question. I'm going to go with you, Rebecca, on this one. Where do you see Renewable Energy in ten years?

Rebecca Riggs

Good question. Everyone's laughed at that. So that's nice. Look, I think an important thing to highlight with Renewables, and timelines, much like probably large infrastructure projects anywhere, is that a lot of these projects are large. We saw some videos of the pumped hydro. I mean, Snowy Hydro has been around for many, many years. And wind farms, solar batteries as well, but in particular wind. I mean, from inception through to construction and commissioning, these projects can take ten years. And we start off by working in the feasibility part of the project and we go through the project development and planning, pre-construction construction and commissioning. And that period is ten years. So, I mean, for me personally, I would hope to see some of the projects that are in the planning team at the moment at my company being built because that is the timeline that you have to deal with. So, I would hope to see a lot more projects coming online because there is a lot sitting within the pathways at the minute.

Nicholas Bryant

Excellent. Thank you. Okay. We'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete the survey now. Your feedback helps us improve and continue offering valuable sessions like this one.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended today's event and contributed to its success. Whether you've joined us to explore career paths, listened directly to industry experts, or connect with other passionate and Renewable Energy individuals, we hope you find it rewarding.

The recording will be available online, so feel free to visit highlights or share it with others in your network. The session will stay open for the next five minutes. If you have any last-minute questions of thoughts you'd like to share.

Thanks again for being part of today's experience. We look forward to seeing where your journey takes you next. And thank you, panel members, very interesting conversation and thank you for all your answers today.

End of transcript

Megan Rice
I would recommend a career in the Renewable Energy Industry as it gives you purpose. It's something to look forward to. You'll be working with cutting edge technologies, solving real world problems, and learning new things every day. Not only that, your career opportunities are endless. So it offers quite a lot of stability, but also growth within the industry.

Amy McArthur
We are at a pinnacle point in the Renewable Energy transition, and it's something that's really exciting to be a part of. It is a once in a lifetime transformation that we are going through in our energy system. And so being at the forefront of that is something that's quite unique in this landscape.

Rebecca Johnson
I decided to start in Renewable Energy because I wanted to be involved in an industry that could have a positive impact on communities, and on Australia and the world.

Amy Jones
I've always been passionate about the environment. And at school, I did geography, and all my teachers were really passionate about climate change and really pushing us to get into stuff like Renewable Energy, and that really made an impact on me.

Michael Coleman
One thing I love about the Renewable Energy Industry is that it's constantly evolving. There's always new technologies coming out. Being a part of a large scale solar project like this allows me to sleep good at night, knowing I'm doing something good for the environment. Here at Stubbo Solar Project, our team here installs about 300 solar panels a day, and including the whole farm, there’s 930,000 panels.

Nick Monk
Batteries are a critical part in making sure that our grid operates in a stable way. When solar comes online or goes offline, and wind is very variable as well, so grid scale battery energy storage systems are really great at making sure that customers can stay online in a very responsive way.

Rebecca Johnson
Hydro definitely has the wow factor. It's huge. You need lots of tunnels, dams, turbine halls, it's a very big operation. The most exciting aspect for me in the hydropower industry is where we get to work. We get to work in a really cool part of the world and get to work on some assets that have been around for about 75 years, and we're still operating and maintaining them to their full capacity.

Rebecca Riggs
One of the really interesting things about wind farms is that on active agricultural properties, such as cattle or sheep or even cropping properties, they don't interrupt each other. So you can have landowners who host infrastructure like wind turbines and still run a very, very successful cattle or lamb or cropping business.

Sarah Wilkinson
One thing I love about onshore wind is working in a team with great people. My role is so diverse that I get to work in the office, but then I also get to work in the field and interact with the local communities and see how our projects are benefiting the local community. Moving forward, there's ways to use AI, also automation tools that help refine processes.

Amy McArthur
One of the most exciting things about being within the wind space is that it's somewhat a new industry for Australia. So that means you have people that have come from an agricultural background, or they've come from a mining space, and they come together to just bring this diverse portfolio of expertise to a new opportunity that we're all together trying to work towards.

Rebecca Riggs
So on a regular day for work, I could be either in the office looking at site layout plans, designing our turbine layouts, or our substation layouts. Another typical day for me could be working on our equipment on site, looking at our wind monitoring mast and making sure everything is up to date.

Nick Monk
I work in the development and construction team. Every day is different, making sure that what's being built is up to a quality and standard which is safe to operate, as well as going around and fixing different issues as they crop up from a technical perspective.

Rebecca Johnson
I'm a site mechanical engineer. In the mechanical space, there’s a lot of piping or structural steel. So any of the big structures that we've installed on site, that's all part of our team’s scope. Any problem that pops up, we find a way to solve it and make sure that we install it safely and to a high quality.

Megan Rice
I'm an Apprentice Adviser for Clean Energy and Women in Trades. A typical day for me involved meeting with apprentices and trainees and providing tailored support through our mentoring programme and my goal is to obviously empower them through their apprenticeship and give them the best chance to succeed in the industry.

Nick Monk
In the future, roles are pretty much going to have to double in technical and engineering roles. The skills are all very, very transferable, and so you're not really limited to one place and you'll never be pigeonholed. So the opportunities to work within Australia, work internationally, work in different sectors, there's a lot of doors open to people in Renewables.

Rebecca Riggs
The industry is so varied that there's opportunities for everyone to be involved. There are multiple pathways to be involved in the Renewable Energy Industry. University is one, but opportunities are also very much available at TAFE.

Rebecca Johnson
Keep curious. There's definitely lots of resources online of different ways you can look at how you can implement Renewable Energy in small projects that you can do yourself.

Amy McArthur
You have to be quite resilient as a person. These projects are very long term, so they take quite a number of years to come to fruition and so you've got to be able to move at pace, but also look at the larger picture. We need to strategise, but in the day to day it can be quite fast paced as well.

Rebecca Riggs
The most exciting part about the Renewable Energy Industry is being part of an industry that's shaping the future of the country. We're continuously developing technologies and policies that will continue to shape the future for the next decades to come.