Clean Energy National Centre of Excellence proposed in WA to pump out skills for trades vital for green energy

WA would become home to a one-stop shop for the skills training required for hundreds of thousands of future clean energy jobs in an ambitious pitch to the Commonwealth Government. The proposal — from Premer Roger Cook — is the latest bid to position WA at the heart of the global race to decarbonise. Under the plan, the Clean Energy National Centre of Excellence would be based in Perth and tasked with pumping out apprentices for a wide range of trades vital for the construction and maintenance of green energy infrastructure. They include electricians, engineers, motor mechanics, plumbers, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, metal fitters and machinists. Mr Cook is seeking Federal Government funding — although the amount has not been disclosed — to kickstart the initiative, which would rely on a network of TAFEs. Around $200 billion worth of clean energy projects are already planned in WA and the burgeoning sector is expected to create 350,000 jobs by 2050. The Cook Government has already announced billions of dollars worth of investment in wind farms, batteries and new high-voltage transmission lines, with the Premier upfront about the fact more spending will be required to meet the needs of the future electricity network. Private proponents are also pursuing a huge range of projects, from the production of ammonia and green hydrogen to large-scale wind and solar farms and domestic manufacturing of battery materials. Producing zero-emissions steels — or at least higher-grade feedstock products such as pellets and hot briquetted iron — have also been identified as potential opportunities for WA. Mr Cook said his ambition to position WA as a “global renewable energy powerhouse” would require a concerted effort to upskill the existing workforce. “Investment in clean energy plays to WA’s economic strengths, skills profile, training capability and natural assets,” he said. “Our proposed TAFE Clean Energy National Centre of Excellence initiative is an excellent opportunity to use the entire network of WA TAFE colleges to deliver the advanced skills base needed for the State’s energy transition.” The proposal seeks to leverage the Commonwealth’s commitment to TAFE Centres of Excellence across the country with the aim of developing skilled workforces for “strategically important industries”. The Federal Government has set aside $325 million over five years to establish and operate 20 such centres, with States and Territories seeking to access the funding pool expected to make a matching contribution. Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk said workers developing skills relevant to the green energy transition stood to capitalise on the “huge” and growing investment in the sector. “Jobs such as supervisory control and data acquisition engineers, wind turbine technicians, and metering technicians will form part of the skills landscape as we move to distributed electricity generation, and more niche occupations will emerge as technology evolves,” Ms McGurk said. “The centre will partner with industry to drive skill development and support participation of more Western Australians — including Aboriginal students and women — in clean energy jobs. “I look forward to our officials progressing bilateral negotiations to agree on the details of Western Australia’s Clean Energy National Centre of Excellence.”