Engineers Australia and Energy Networks Australia unite to accelerate Australia's energy transition
By joining forces, these organizations aim to address shared challenges, enhance engineering competencies, and facilitate the transition to a sustainable and renewable energy future.
Engineers Australia and Energy Networks Australia have forged a strategic alliance aimed at bolstering Australia's energy transition efforts. This partnership represents a significant collaborative effort to address the pressing challenges and opportunities within the energy sector as Australia navigates towards a future powered by renewable energy sources.
Engineers Australia, as the trusted voice of the engineering profession, is committed to advocating for engineering excellence and supporting its members. Energy Networks Australia, on the other hand, serves as the national industry body representing Australia's electricity transmission and distribution, as well as gas distribution networks.
At the heart of this new alliance lies a commitment to advocacy, with both organizations committed to pool their resources and expertise to address issues critical to the advancement of the energy transition agenda. By combining forces, Engineers Australia and Energy Networks Australia seek to amplify their influence and drive impactful change in policies and standards essential for fostering a thriving renewable energy ecosystem.
In addition to advocacy, the partnership will focus on competency development and recognition within the engineering community, particularly in the energy sector. The two collaborators will jointly develop programs aimed at enhancing the skills and expertise of engineers working in the energy industry. This includes initiatives tailored towards skill development, professional growth, and the launch of a new Chartered Area of Practice dedicated to recognizing the specialized skills of energy engineers.
Furthermore, the collaboration will extend to workforce credentialing, with Engineers Australia leveraging support from Energy Networks Australia to expand the adoption of its Engineering Workforce Credential (EWC) program across the energy sector. The EWC program, which offers a contemporary business-wide approach to credentialing engineers, will play a pivotal role in ensuring that engineers possess the necessary qualifications and competencies to drive the energy transition forward.
“Addressing the skills shortage within Australia's energy sector is central to achieving net zero emissions by 2050," said Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO.
"The transition to clean energy not only represents a significant shift in how we generate and consume energy but also necessitates a substantial expansion and enhancement of the workforce capable of driving this change."
Dominique van den Berg, CEO of Energy Networks Australia echoed the importance of a competent labour force.
“To meet net zero, we need the right workforce," van den Berg said.
"From powering homes and industry to steering us through the energy transition, engineers are the bedrock of our energy system. The energy transition is now well under way, and we must make collaboration a priority."
"In partnering with Engineers Australia, we can help ensure that the right skills are available, where they will be needed and at the scale required.”
