Renewable energy courses to be offered by NSW TAFE under new national skills funding
The National Skills Agreement will fund the launch of new microskills courses by TAFE NSW, marking a significant step towards preparing the workforce in NSW for a Net Zero economy and the expanding renewable energy sector.
The NSW government has signed the National Skills Agreement, a 5-year collaboration with the Commonwealth government. Under this agreement, the Commonwealth government will invest up to $3.8 billion into the skills and training sector in NSW. This substantial financial commitment is set to revitalize TAFE institutions and bolster the state's workforce.
Last month, the NSW government unveiled its strategy to secure reliable and clean renewable energy for the state. With the National Skills Agreement in place, NSW now has the necessary funding security to enhance skills training in the renewable energy and technology sector, aligning with its sustainability goals.
As part of this initiative, TAFE NSW has announced the launch of eight new microskills courses. These short, self-directed online courses are tailored to develop specific skills and are set to be rolled out over the next six months.
The courses to be rolled out over the next 6 months include:
- Emergency responder electric vehicle incident and emergency response
- Introduction to fuel-cell electric vehicles
- Contextualised fuel-cell electric vehicle
- Hydrogen energy fundamentals
- Electric vehicle charging station baseline knowledge
- Refuelling fuel-cell electric vehicles
- Prepare to work in the renewable energy sector
- Introduction to wind farms.
These initiatives aim to equip the workforce with the essential skills and knowledge required to thrive in the renewable energy and electric vehicle industries while ensuring that emergency responders are well-prepared to manage any incidents.
"The National Skills Agreement means vital funding is secured to accelerate skills training in New South Wales, keeping TAFE NSW at the forefront of the sector. These 8 new microskills are just the first step," said Steve Whan, Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education.
‘I’m particularly excited about how these microskills will benefit our regional areas, school leavers and existing tradespeople by introducing them to skills and opportunities in wind and solar power generation particularly those within Renewable Energy Zones.'
