Transgrid has launched Legacy 100, a multimillion-dollar training project aimed at improving skills in the power transmission industry across regional NSW.
As part of the $1.8 billion EnergyConnect project being built from Wagga Wagga to the South Australian border, Legacy 100 will result in up to 100 applicants achieving certifications in Transmission Line Construction.
“Transgrid and its construction partner SecureEnergy are committed to investing in the nation’s energy workforce to address skills and jobs shortages in regional NSW and support Australia’s great transition to clean energy,” Transgrid Executive General Manager of Major Projects Gordon Taylor said.
Taylor noted that the first of 1,500 towers are already being installed on EnergyConnect in southern NSW, with the stringing of 9,000 kilometres of conductor cabling set to begin soon, requiring hundreds of workers.
“There will be no transition without transmission and Legacy 100 will form the backbone of the future workforce in the transmission tower construction industry, with workers to use the skills gained on EnergyConnect to build other future transmission line projects,” Taylor stated.
“The comprehensive program will help the Australian energy sector to grow its own riggers and doggers, boosting jobs and skills in regional NSW, and reducing reliance on overseas trained workers,” he added.
According to SecureEnergy Project Director Samuel Basanta Lopez, 100 candidates from the Riverina and other areas in regional NSW are currently being sought to join the program and further their careers.
“This is the first time in this country an initiative like this has been launched and we are very proud to be developing the skills and capabilities required for the Australian energy sector,” Basanta Lopez said.
Basanta Lopez stated that Ironbark Training, the only Registered Training Organisation with this certification on scope, will begin Legacy 100 in Wagga Wagga with a focus on local and Indigenous applicants across the Riverina and Thomson Bridge.
“We are looking for local and regionally based people who have a passion for working at heights, and an ability to work away from home and live in a worker accommodation camp for 21 days at a time. Prospective candidates only need a current white card to seize the opportunities ahead,” Basanta Lopez added.
